Jharkhand declared drought affected

The Jharkhand government on Tuesday said it had decided to declare the entire state as drought affected and would ask the central government for relief.

"The state cabinet decided to declare the entire state as drought affected. The state government will make representation before central government for relief," N.N. Paney, additional chief secretary and in charge of the cabinet department, told reporters.

The state government would invite a central team to assess the situation and provide relief to the state government, he said.

Scanty rainfall this year affected Jharkhand's agricultural yield, particularly paddy.

The state cabinet also agreed to call the assembly session from December 15 which will end on December 22.

Other cabinet decisions included increasing to Rs 3 crore the annual Local Area Fund of a legislator with Rs 50 lakh to be utilised for making toilets and provision of two milch cows to women living Below Poverty Line (BPL) with a subsidy of 90 per cent.