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| Bihar seeks Rs 23,000 cr as central assistance |
| Press Trust of India / Patna Aug 24, 2009, 18:51 IST |
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Bihar today sought Rs 23,000 crore as immediate assistance from the Centre to tackle the drought situation in the state.
Stating that he was not seeking a 'drought package' from the Centre, but assistance to deal with the situation, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "we require Rs 10,800 crore under gratuitous relief fund for providing cash and foodgrain assistance to each affected person."
Kumar said that Rs 10,000 crore had been sought under NREGA and Rs 2,000 crore for providing diesel subsidy, fodder and farm inputs.
The state government was visualising a situation worse than the 1967 famine that had struck undivided Bihar if the dry spell continued in the state, he said.
Kumar said during a recent meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and members of the empowered committee of minister, he had sought their intervention to help Bihar.
"It is now up to the Centre to prepare a guideline for Gratuity Relief (GR)distribution and taking up schemes under NREGA," he said.
"I as chief minister of Bihar assure that none will be allowed to die of hunger in this hour of crisis," he said.
The JD-U leader said that scanty rainfall had almost led the paddy crop to be destroyed and the state government was preparing to save the rabi crop.
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