Scarcity declared
in 5,470 villages across state
The
state government on Wednesday announced scarcity in 5,470 villages and
partial scarcity in 6,779 villages with effect from December 1. The
master plan for the scarcity will be announced in 10 days after finalising
reports submitted by collectors of various districts. At the post Cabinet
briefing on Wednesday, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said a total of
12,240 villages have been affected by scarcity.
The Cabinet also constituted
a sub-committee headed by revenue minister Vaju Vala and including water
supply minister Narottam Patel, forest and environment minister Kanji
Patel, medium and small irrigation project minister Nitin Patel, education
minister Anandi Patel, minister of state for cooperatives Raman Vora,
minister of state for agriculture Bechar Bhadani, minister of state
for panchayats Naran Patel and minister of state for animal husbandry
Kiritsinh Rana to expedite decisions. Mr Patel said the Cabinet subcommittee
has been authorised to take decisions independent of consultations with
the Cabinet.
"Normally scarcity
is declared either at the end of December or in the beginning of January
but the state government has decided to give relief right from the start
of December," the Chief Minister said.
Revenue minister Vaju Vala
said the drought for the second year in succession is estimated to cost
the state Rs 1,000 crores. When asked whether the state has sought assistance
from the centre, he said assistance can be sought only after the size
of the master plan is decided. "Although the Eleventh Finance Commission
has done away with the contrary of the natural calamity fund in its
plan, the state expects to get funds set aside for drought.
Mr. Patel said three to
four districts have already commenced relief operations by providing
employment, water and fodder the relief operations. It will also be
for the first time that the state government has made the assessment
of scarcity in all the three categories of crops in advance for Kharif-1
harvested between October and December, Kharif-2 crops harvested in
December and January and the winter crops cultivated in February and
March.
The state government has
concluded the calculation of the intensity of the drought for the Kharif-1
category of crops in about 9,714 villages. While 905 villages have been
declared as affected in the Kharif-2 category and 1,621 villages have
been declared affected in the partial scarcity bracket in the Rabi crop
category.
While the Dangs, Navsari
and Valsad districts will remain unaffected by drought the entire Kutch
district will be affected by January. About 501 villages of Ahmedabad,
the entire Rajkot district, 1,001 villages of Sabarkantha, 411 of the
521 villages in Patan, 159 villages in Gandhinagar and 1,157 villages
in the Panchmahals are also among the areas that will be affected.
