State to seek Centre’s assistance to combat drought like situation

The state government is likely to seek financial assistance from the Centre to combat the drought like situation that emerged in four South Bengal districts Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore and Burdwan.

Panchayat and Rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee will hold a meeting at Salt Lake on Wednesday to take a stock of the situation. Senior officials of the department will attend the meeting.

The temperature in these four districts had been varying anything from 40 to 45 degree Celsius in the past three months. Despite that, elections were held in these areas. Due to poor rainfall most of the water bodies and canals has either become dry or the water level has drastically fallen causing great inconvenience to the farmers. They could not even take out water from this canal to irrigate their land because of falling of water level.

Under such gruelling situation state government is finding it difficult to work without Centre’s assistance. Senior official said that the state government would seek financial assistance from the Centre, but the amount which is going to be asked for has been not been disclosed.

It was learnt that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Chief Secretary Basudeb Bandyopadhya to take up the matter to the District Magistrates of these worst hit areas. The Districts Magistrates have undertaken a survey to get a clear picture on the situation and the report will be submitted within a day or two to the state government. The District Magistrates are likely to attend the meeting to be presided by Mukherjee on Wednesday.

In North Bengal where rainfall occurred in some area is back to square one. The discomfort level has gone up making lives miserable for those who work in open areas. In city, the discomfort factor reached height in the afternoon with the city street looking near empty. People were seen outside the shops selling cold drinks and lime water.