Madhya Pradesh asks for Rs.11,669 crore drought assistance

By IANS,

Bhopal : The Madhya Pradesh government has asked New Delhi for Rs.11,669.68 crore to tackle the drought in the state, officials here said.


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The request was made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan when he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Monday.

The state had been witnessing an unprecedented dry spell this decade, with 2003-04 being the only year to record average rainfall, officials here quoted Chouhan as telling the prime minister.

Chouhan said he had asked for financial assistance from the central government in 2007 and in 2008 as well — immediate aid of Rs.1,548 crore and medium and long-term assistance of Rs.24,244 crore — but to no avail.

Though the union government had recommended assistance of Rs.4,000 crore for the state, there had been nothing from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund (NCCF).

According to the chief minister, the eligibility criteria for relief assistance should be 25 percent crop loss, not 50 percent.

He also asked the central government to help farmers who had been unable to pay their electricity bills by paying 50 percent of the amount payable as on March 31, 2009. The remaining amount was being borne by the state government, he said.

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