PM tracking monsoon

Cabinet Secretary to convene meet with states

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gets ready to tour the flood-affected areas of Bihar, his other worry is never far from his mind, that of the prospect of drought in some parts of the country.

According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Manmohan Singh has been monitoring the progress (or lack thereof) of the monsoon and is particularly worried about the situation in the Delhi-Rajasthan areas in the north and the Karnataka-Rayalseema areas in the south.

"These two regions are going to be the worst affected if the monsoon fails," said an official in the PMO.

The Prime Minister has also directed Cabinet Secretary BK Chaturvedi to convene a meeting of the chief secretaries of the affected states and monitor the situation on a daily basis.

Official sources told Business Standard that the cabinet secretary was slated to meet the chief secretaries of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

Official sources also said the prime minister might also convene a meeting with the chief ministers of the affected states after his return from his maiden foreign trip to Thailand to attend the BIMSTEC summit.

Latest forecast maps of the monsoon are being constantly uploaded to the prime minister's website for cross checking.

The PMO, however, believes it is still early to declare a drought situation. But Singh is spending a lot of time with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia discussing the monsoon.

"This is because delivery systems are being worked out for drought relief. The prime minister feels that the familiar complaint of resources marshalled for relief work not reaching the affected people should not be repeated, while he is heading the government," added the official.

A central team is already touring Maharashtra and areas bordering north Karnataka.