Chouhan loses temper over discrepancies in drought figures

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan rarely loses his temper; so district collectors sought cover when, during a meeting to assess agricultural losses due to deficient rains and pest attacks, he blasted them for not doing their work properly. Madhya Pradesh has declared drought in 23 districts, with about two million hectares hit by drought. Collectors of Vidisha and Sagar districts were especially the target of Chouhan's ire. The Vidisha collector reported that the entire crop in the district had been damaged, but the quantity of grains reaching the mandis had increased from 1,072 quintals last year to 3,630 quintals this year. The Sagar collector reported that 369,000 hectares had been hit by drought. Chouhan told them to do a thorough inspection and revise their figures.