Opposition Congress on Sunday slammed Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal for carrying on his lengthy foreign trip despite he was needed in the State at a time of drought.
“Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker had recently called off a foreign trip of MlAs citing prevailing drought-like situation in the State and advised MlAs to be in their respective constituencies with farmers but it is surprising that Agriculture Minister is still on his foreign trip,’’ a Press statement of the Congress said.
Congress alleged that the Agriculture Minister preferred foreign trip instead of helping out farmers whose crops are wilting due to insufficient rain. Congress has also hit out at the BJP Government for doing nothing for farmers to overcome drought crisis.
Notably, Chhattisgarh Government is planning to declare 41 tehsils of the state drought-affected if rain continues to elude these tehsils, officials claimed.
As per agriculture department, Surguja and Bastar region have received normal rainfall this Monsoon season so far but the condition in rice-belt pockets mainly in Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur divisions is grim.
The crop is wilting in Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur regions due to insufficient rainfall for consecutively second year and the Government is monitoring the condition on regular basis.
The situation of Raipur, Abhanpur, Arang, all the three tehsils of Durg, Gurur tehsil of Balod and all the four tehsils of Kanker district is highly serious.