JEYPORE: The farmers

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi's pet project for the water-starved Bundelkhand region has received its first tranche of additional Central assistance well in time for water-harvesting structures, ponds and dug wells to be in place before the monsoon sets in.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet has decided to disburse Rs 15 crore for KeralaWater Authority for drought relief measures.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan told reporters on Wednesday at a post-cabinet briefing that Rs 10 crore has been earmarked to district collectors for the drought-relief measures.

Ranchi, March 2: The state government is planning to introduce a pension scheme for farmers in the new budget in an attempt to boost agriculture as this sector was lagging behind.

Budgetary provisions for imparting training to farmers and developing warehouse facilities across the state, too, are on the cards.

The Orissa government on Wednesday sought an assistance of Rs 2,257 crores from the Centre to tackle drought in the state.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the Centre demanding sanction of Rs 2,257 crores to combat the prevailing drought in the state," Orissa revenue minister Surjya Narayan Patra told this newspaper.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday declared 3,264 villages in 70 blocks and 41 wards in nine urban local bodies as drought-affected and sought an assistance of Rs 843.965 cr from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to tackle the situation.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared a special package worth Rs 7,266 crore for the implementation of a drought mitigation strategy over a three-year period starting 2009-10 for the development of 13 districts in the Bundelkhand region.

Revenue Minister Surjya Narayan Patro today admitted in the Assembly that there had been more than 50 per cent crop loss in autumn paddy.

Replying to an unstarred question from Adikanda Sethi (CPI), the Minister said that according to assessment made from the crop cutting experiment in 3,264 villages and 41 wards in 15 districts, there is more than 50 per cent loss in autumn paddy.

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE
The Government has appointed a Cabinet sub committee to look into the drought prevailing in certain parts of the country.