The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Crops in six lakh hectares lost owing to deficient rainfall

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Friday, Sep 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Crops in six lakh hectares lost owing to deficient rainfall

Special Correspondent

Rs. 40 cr. released for drought relief work

Centre to release Rs. 89.05 crore to State
648 vacancies in Agriculture and Cooperation departments to be filled

BANGALORE: Standing kharif crops on 6.08 lakh hectares have been damaged on account of deficient rainfall in 84 taluks of the State.

Briefing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions on Thursday, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje said the Government had declared 84 taluks as drought-hit. Though the target was 74.73 lakh hectares in the kharif season, sowing had taken place in 64 lakh hectares as on September 15.

The Cabinet decided to release Rs. 40 crore for relief measures in such taluks.

A sum of Rs. 91 crore was with deputy commissioners, which would be used for implementing relief works. Standing crops worth Rs. 2,019 crore had been damaged because of deficient rainfall, while heavy rain damaged crops worth Rs. 627 crore, she said.

The Centre had agreed to release Rs. 89.05 crore to the State for taking up relief measures. The Government had sought Rs. 2,646 crore from the Union Government for relief measures in the drought-hit and flood-affected districts.

Memorandum

Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy submitted a memorandum to the Centre last week seeking immediate release of Rs. 2,019 crore to take up works in drought-hit taluks and Rs. 627 crore in the flood-affected districts, she said.

The Cabinet decided to fill 648 vacancies in the Agriculture and Cooperation departments, either through promotions or direct recruitment.

A sum of Rs. 9.45 crore would be released for taking up works on a railway bridge in Shimoga city.

The cost of the Rs. 18.91-crore project would be shared by the Government and the Railways equally, the Minister said.

The Cabinet discussed the hiring a helicopter belonging to Pawan Hans on a permanent basis. Officials had been told to hold discussions with the company to finalise the rent.

Next meeting

The Chief Minister said the State Cabinet would hold its next meeting in Gulbara on September 26.

M. Chandrashekar, police officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, would be posted to Karnataka.

The IPS officer had written to the Centre seeking a posting to Karnataka due to personal problems.

The Cabinet had cleared his request, Ms. Karandlaje said.

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