• Special package of Rs 9,321 crore for relief in drought-affected areas,
  • Ensure proper arrangements for drinking water and fodder,
  • Departments should expedite disaster management works through mutual coordination,
  • Livelihood-related activities should be operated in affected areas
  • Provide relief to general public, farmers and cattle rearers
  • Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma
  • A total of 87 tehsils across 15 districts declared drought-affected due to lower average annual rainfall

Jaipur, Nov 13: Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has said that the state government has arranged a special package of Rs 9,321 crore to provide relief in drought-affected areas of Rajasthan. He gave guidelines for continuous monitoring of disaster management and relief works. He directed maintaining constant contact with the district administration in affected districts and ensuring the availability of drinking water, irrigation, and fodder for the general public, farmers, and cattle rearers.

The Chief Minister was chairing a meeting of the Disaster Management, Relief, and Civil Defence Department at the Chief Minister's Office on Friday. He said that in districts where rainfall has been less than normal, fodder depots should be operated systematically as required. Along with this, proper arrangements for drinking water and fodder for animals should also be maintained through gaushalas.

He said that employment and livelihood-related activities should be operated in the affected districts through the Rural Development Department via VB-Giram-G, Rajeevika, and housing schemes. He also gave necessary instructions regarding preparing assessment reports based on Girdawari of Kharif crop damage in affected districts and providing relief to cultivators.

The Chief Minister said that proper arrangements for drinking water should be made by the Public Health Engineering Department based on the contingency plan. Meanwhile, electricity connections for tubewells should be issued on a priority basis by the Electricity Department. He also directed making proper arrangements for drinking water transport as needed.

Notably, due to the average annual rainfall being about 20 percent less during the monsoon season in Rajasthan, a total of 87 tehsils across 15 districts have been declared drought-affected. Out of these tehsils, 73 tehsils fall in the severe drought-affected category and 14 tehsils in the moderate drought-affected category.

Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, Additional Chief Secretary (Chief Minister) Akhil Arora, Additional Chief Secretary (Disaster Management, Relief and Civil Defence) Bhaskar A. Sawant, along with senior officials from Public Health Engineering, Revenue, Animal Husbandry, Cow Husbandry, Agriculture and Horticulture, Cooperation, Finance, EGS, and Water Resources departments were present in the meeting.