Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal has cancelled four-nation tour of the MlAs in view of drought situation prevailing in the State.
The MlAS were to leave for tour of France, Switzerland, Australia and England on September 13 to 23 this year.
A total of 25 MlAs were to undertake the tour.
The Speaker stated that when the State is facing drought situation , the MlAs need to remain in their constituencies. He urged the legislators to help farmers redress their problems. 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 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. If the drought-like condition continues to prevail in these areas , the Government is planning to declare 41 of the tehsils as drought-affected. The collectors of the concerned districts have been asked to submit the detailed report about the rain condition, sources informed.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has also asked officials to arrange and start distributing seeds which require less water for cultivation of crops even as Chhattisgarh fears for a spell of drought in many parts of the State. Chairing a meeting of senior officials at his official residence recently, the Chief Minister directed to prepare an ‘Emergency Action Plan’ to deal with lack of sufficient rainfall in the State.
The officials in the meeting informed the Chief Minister that the average rainfall in the State had been short by 10 per cent in the State when compared to last 10 years with 677 mm rainfall registered between June 1 to August 18 in the State this monsoon season.
It was also informed in the meeting that sowing for paddy crop had been 99 per cent complete. The Chief Minister while mentioning about his earlier letter to all district collectors sent on August 16 directed that irrigation facilities be utilised fully to provide water to the farms.
Chhattisgarh Government on August 6 this year had planned to declare 41 tehsils of the state drought-affected if rain continues to elude the regions. As per agriculture department, Surguja and Bastar region have received normal rainfall this Monsoon season so far but the condition 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.