| . . |
Government Efforts
|
STEPS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTS (Centre and State) |
| The
State government has constituted a Disaster Management group on 22nd
March 2001 comprising of 12 departments viz. Relief, Mines, Irrigation, Industries, Home,
Urban Development, Revenue, Forests, Public Works Department (PWD), Medical and Health,
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, to prepare a disaster management plan for the state. The
Center for the Disaster Management will function as the nodal agency for the group. |
| In
view of the third consecutive drought in the State, the Govt. proposed to allocate Rs.
2712.7 millions on irrigation projects to generate additional irrigation capacity of
19,000 hectares. The Govt. has proposed an outlay of around Rs. 280 million for the
reviving traditional water sources. To combat the impending drinking water crisis in the
State, the Govt. has proposed an allocation of Rs. 12,430 million. The budget 2001-2002
envisaged to spend Rs. 5,330 millions to fight the problem of floride. |
| A
Drought Relief Committee has been formed on 5th January 2001to speed up repair
of hand pumps and the digging / deepening of tube wells. The committee would also consider
the need to take assistance of NGOs for operating fodder depots and for the supply of
drinking water. |
| Government
of Rajasthan (GoR) has appraised the Centre of the drought situation as on 17th January
2001 and the relief measures being undertaken thereof. |
| Orders,
to best utilize Indian Railway ‘s offer as on 17th January 2001 to provide free
transportation of drinking water and fodder in the worst affected districts, have already
been issued by the State. |
| Chief
Secretary of Rajasthan has requested the District Collectors of Jaipur on the 19th January
2001, to invite and involve maximum participation of voluntary agencies for relief works.
He has also asked district collectors to keep aside 200kgs of wheat for the most
vulnerable populations. |
| The
Central Govt. has already passed a bill with regard to the imposition of additional
surcharges on existing taxes to mobilize resources for the newly constituted National
Relief Fund. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has requested immediate release of some
grants from this fund to mitigate the emergent situation to some extent. |
| Special
guidelines have been issued for the management of cattle camps and ‘goshalas’
for the abandoned cattle population. |
| The
Central Govt. has decided to provide 1.0 lakh ton food grain out of which 15000 tons of
food grains have already been released. This wheat shall be given under the Food for Work
Program @ 5 kg per person per day having a worth of Rs. 23.00 at the subsidized for BPL
families. The rest of the wages of Rs. 37.00 shall be paid for in cash. |
| The
Central Govt. will be releasing an unspecified amount of partly degraded foodgrains lying
with the FCI as cattle feed, in response to the State Govt.’s demand of 50000 M.Ton
of wheat to be provided by the surplus FCI as cattle feed. |
| The
Chief Minister of Rajasthan had a dialogue with the Chief Minister of Punjab to have 6500
cusecs of water released to the Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojna (IGNP) which will help in
the irrigation of crops in Bikaner, Hanumangarh and Jaisalmer as Punjab has assured the
supply of this quantity of water. |
| The
Govt. of Rajasthan will be providing 25 Kgs. of wheat and rice @ Rs. 2.0 and 3.0 per Kg.
respectively to each Below Poverty Line (BPL) family under the Antyodaya Scheme. This is
estimated to benefit 372000 people. |
| The
central govt. agreed to provide free of cost foodgrains to supplement wages under the food
for work programme, which has been, started w.e.f. from January 15th 2001 to Rajasthan. |
| The
State Govt. is planning to procure fodder from the neighbouring States of Punjab and Uttar
Pradesh and it has issued a notification for the opening of fodder depots. The transport
subsidy for green fodder will be @ 25 per qtls. and the fodder will be sold at no profit /
no loss. |
| The
State Govt. has set a limit of providing employment to 8 thousand workers under drought
relief works during the month of April and decided to double the finances to ensure
drinking water in the affected areas. The State Govt. has asked Central Govt. to allot
additional amount of wheat for meeting needs of animal fodder since the previously
provisioned 6,000 metric tones of wheat has already been exhausted. In a high level
meeting on 29th March the Chief Minister Sh. Ashok Gehlot asked the NGOs and donors to
come forward and help in drought relief. |
The third consecutive drought in the state has also impacted pisci
culture, which has led to a substantial decrease in the revenue earning of the Fisheries
department. In Jaipur district alone out of the 59 water bodies contract for fisheries has
been made only for just 17. |
GoR has approached
GoI for Rs. 2367.80 crores as additional assistance from CRF.
The severe drought situation in the State for
the third successive year in the absence of additional funds under the Calamity Relief
Fund (CRF) of the Central govt. makes it quite impossible for the State govt. to manage
the drought out of State funds. To save people and cattle from this severe calamity an
additional amount of Rs. 2367.80 crores is required. A detailed memorandum comprising
details of relief operations to be undertaken in the affected areas with the requirement
of funds has already been submitted to Govt. of India, Ministry of Agriculture and
Co-operation on 9.11.2000.
Five hundred million rupees have been provided
from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to assist drought hit Rajasthan. The State Govt.
has taken an advance installment from CRF of Rs. 401.7 million, which would be adjusted
against the installment of next financial year. Keeping in view the meagre financial
assistance of Rs. 1750 million including the advance installments of Calamity Relief Fund
(CRR), the Finance Minister is under compulsion to impose new taxes in the budget to
mobilize more than Rs. 5,000 million for the continuation of drought relief works in
Rajasthan.
In addition to the above the Chief Minister of
Rajasthan has requested the Prime Minister to provide following assistance in connection
with famine relief operations: -
 To provide food
grains in sufficient quantities to the State FREE OF COST to supplement wages given to
workers in rural development works as well as relief works.
Revival of free transportation to supply
water, food and fodder through railways, which was in existence upto 30th April
2000, has been requested for in a letter written to the Hon'ble Railway Minister.
Request has been sent to the Ministry of
Petroleum on 30.10.2000 for the reimbursement of the cost of diesel, which would be
incurred by the State on the transportation of drinking water by road, a facility that was
provided in the previous year also.
The State Government has requested Ministry
of Rural Development for early release of 180 crores under the Prime Minister Gramodaya
Yojana (PMGY) for taking up road works in rural areas. This matter is pending with the
Ministry for the last seven months.
The state government at its level would
make efforts to dovetail rural development activities with famine relief works so as to
contain the overall financial burden in this context.
The issue of making a request either formally or informally is
under consideration of the GoR primarily on account of
 Political
sensitivity, especially due to a different political party being in power at the Centre
and the possibility of not only the opposition but also the dissident sections in the
ruling party in Rajasthan and also the visual and print media exploiting the situation
rather than making any useful contribution.
Non-availability of any idea of the
possible extent of aid from the international agencies in case a formal or informal
request is made by the State Government, which by any reasonable estimates should go
beyond Rs.1100 crores going by the last year’s experience. This expenditure would
possibly be the highest made by any State govt. in any drought this century, and it
appears that the State Govt. would only go in for a formal/informal request only in case
it is confident of obtaining substantial funding in it’s efforts in drought
management.
Specific administrative measures being
undertaken are:
 To start fodder and drinking water supply arrangements from 15th
Dec, 2000 and relief works from 15th January, 2001, a decision taken by the Council of
Ministers. Accordingly based on demand sanction for fodder supply in 4 districts from the
month of December has been issued.
Contingency plans for all districts have been prepared and were discussed in the
Collectors’ Conference on 11-12-2000 chaired by Chief Minister (CM).
Ban
on movement of fodder from the State has been imposed.
A
Task Force to monitor supply of fodder, health & nutrition, drinking water and relief
works has been set up and started functioning.
30,583 villages have been notified to be scarcity-affected w.e.f 27th Nov 2000
vide a gazette notification of the relief dept. of the GoR.
| Relief
Works |
| Specific
targeted group |
Current
status |
| 0-6 age
group of Children |
In this age group, there are 7.35 million children in 31 drought affected
districts and out of them 1.62 million children have been covered under Integrated Child
Development Scheme (ICDS) through 35,183 Anganwadi centers which provide the supplementary
nutrition and emergency medical kits. The Govt. is planning to open additional 2,263
Anganwadi centers to cover more area under ICDS. |
| Pregnant
& Nursing women |
The needy pregnant and nursing women are also targeted to receive assistance
under ICDS through Anganwadi centers. As the stressful conditions have forced these women
to work for livelihood there is an urgent need to start mobile crèches at the work sites.
Till now no such crèche has operationalised. |
| 6-14 age
group of Children |
There are 54,872 schools up to 8th standard in which 6.01 million
student of this age group. All these schools have been covered under mid day meal scheme
in which wheat is being provided free of cost. The scheme shall continued till summer
vacation. |
| Adult
working population |
In the State there are 21.4 million adults above 15 year of age. There is labour
ceiling of 500000 against which till 15th March 3,64,005 labourer have been
provided employment under drought related relief work. Apart from this 89,554 labourers
have been wage employed under the different schemes of State and Central Govt. In all the
districts, payment of wages have been done up to Feb. end. Rs. 1132.6 has been allotted
under different schemes. The rate of wages are same for both male and female i.e Rs. 60
per day out of which there is mandatory provision of payment of one third of wages in form
of food grain. |
| Aged,
Infirm and destitute population |
There are
4,84,420 aged, infirm and destitute population in the State. 1,57,536 persons both male
and female have been covered under National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS). Apart from
this 47500 such persons have benefited Annapoorna scheme. Till now no community kitchen
have been opened in the State. |
Relief Activity |
Amount in 000’ Rs. |
Relief works
|
51,364 |
Cattle conservation
|
4,200 |
Drinking water
|
711 |
Supply of medicines
|
127 |
Gratuitous relief
|
191 |
Total
|
56,595 |
Source: Relief Department, GoR, Dec. 2000
* This includes CRF + RIDF (material component) + PM Fund |
|
. . |
Rajasthan -
Drought Status
