Central team to assess drought situation in Haryana

The Centre has constituted a nine member Inter-Ministerial Central Team to assess the drought situation in Haryana and recommend financial assistance required for the state.
On September 2, Haryana had declared drought in all 22 districts. It received deficient rains during the Kharif crop (summer) season and has demanded an assistance of over Rs 4,800 crore from the Centre.
The IMCT team will be led by Managing Director of National Cooperative Development Corporation, Department of Agriculture and have representatives from Department of Expenditure, Planning Commission, Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry and Rural Development Ministry, said an official statement.
"The team is likely to visit the state on Saturday and it is expected that by Monday it will submit a report on drought situation, following which the centre will take call on allocation of funds," a senior official said.

It will also include of members of Power Ministry, Water Resources Ministry, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Department of Animal Husbandry and a member from Crops Division of Agriculture Ministry.
Major kharif crops grown in the state are rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, jute, sugarcane, sesame and groundnut.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said earliest that the state has already submitted a memorandum to the central government seeking a special package of Rs 4,829.75 crore. He hoped that the Narendra Modi government would respond positively and send its team at the earliest to assess the loss.
He had also said that in case of more than 50 per cent damage to the crops of paddy and cotton, a compensation of Rs 4,000 per acre would be given to the farmers.