Govt constitutes EGoM to tackle drought

PM to address chief ministers on the situation on Monday.

The government today constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to tackle the drought situation in nearly one-fourth of the country.

The term of reference for the EGoM includes assessment and monitoring of the situation arising out of drought and deficient rainfall.

EGoM would take decisions and approve new and innovative schemes, besides examining the existing schemes for suitable modification.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Power Minister Sushil Shinde are part of the EGoM.

Other members include Rural Development Minister C P Joshi, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the chief ministers of all states here on Monday on measures to salvage the situation.

The prime minister would make use of the presence of chief ministers, who will be here for a meeting on internal security, to discuss the worsening agriculture scenario, following inadequate rainfall and shrinkage in area under cultivation, sources said.

According to recent data, as many as 161 of about 600 districts have been declared drought-affected.

Singh in his address to the chief secretaries of various states last week had expressed concern over rising prices of essential commodities like pulses, sugar and vegetables and had asked them to activate the public distribution system, “which is an important safety net, especially for the poor, and helps cushion them against price rise.”

The prime minister also emphasised the need for planning for the coming Rabi (winter crop) season to compensate for the loss in output during the Kharif (summer crop) season.

Singh, according to sources, is likely to ask the states to take steps to curb speculative trading by taking anti-hoarding measures and make use of funds available under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) to expand irrigation facilities in the drought-hit areas.

The Centre has written to the states to initiate steps for saving crops for the coming Rabi season, as water scarcity is likely to continue.

In a letter to chief secretaries of various states, the agriculture ministry yesterday said: “We feel it is extremely important, more so for the coming Rabi season, when water stress conditions are likely to persist, if the present monsoon trend continues.”

The states, it said, should make use of the funds available under NREGS to develop irrigation facilities in different parts of the country.

The recent amendment to National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, according to the letter, “opens a new window of opportunity for construction of water conservation structures and other ... moisture conservation measures, apart from providing irrigation in the fields of majority of farmers in the country”.