Govt taking all steps to combat drought like situation: Nitish

With Bihar recording deficit rainfall this season, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the government has prepared a contingency plan to meet a possible drought-like situation.

With Bihar recording deficit rainfall this season, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the government has prepared a contingency plan to meet a possible drought-like situation.

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"...The figures of the IMD says that Bihar has witnessed scanty rainfall in the past one-and-half months in comparison to other states and if the trend continues the situation will be quite serious...We have prepared comprehensive contingency plan with a special thrust to provide electricity for irrigation, seed, diesel subsidy etc to the farmers to deal with drought," he told the assembly.

Kumar, who was replying to a special debate on drought in the Assembly, said he has written to Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde asking for allocation of 300 MW power in addition to the present 1550 MW allocated from the central sector to cater to Bihar's irrigation needs.

He has also written to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar requesting him to sanction diesel subsidy of about Rs 320 crore to save kharif crops and cultivation of alternative crops.

"The state government has also sought subsidy of Rs 50 crore to be distributed to farmers for buying seeds besides Rs 100 crore for drinking water in the event of a drought," Kumar said.