Ranchi, Nov. 20: Addressing the state-level Task Force constituted to deal with the problems of scanty rain during Kharif harvest 2015 on Friday, principal secretary, Planning-cum-Finance Department, Amit Khare said that the relief measures suggested by the state government related to employment, agricultural resources, drinking water and others would be implemented with immediate effect.
He laid emphasis on implementing immediate as well as short-term measures, in addition to adopting long-term measures for water conservation and change in crops.
Mr. Khare requested all the officers present in the meeting to upload list of works done by concerned departments, list of beneficiaries, list of work places and other relevant details on their respective websites.
The principal secretary, RDD, said that the MGNAREGA work has been started in the affected panchayats and the progress is being monitored. According to him out of the budgetary allocations of Rs. 950 crore, Rs.700 crore has been spent. Moreover, an amount of Rs. 480.00 crore has been put under revolving funds. Khare said that the RDD will ensure at least one MGNAREGA work in every village in all the affected 126 blocks and monitor it. In the remaining blocks, at least one work should be in operation.
Khare said that 83,138 wells and 1,22,868 ponds have been constructed under MGNAREGA and Jal Chhajan programs and the state agriculture and welfare departments have been requested to provide pump sets to the villagers. The agriculture department has also been requested to submit a report to his department so that wells and pump sets could be provided in the villages.
The secretary, agriculture and animal husbandry, said that they have started sending seeds in the districts and asked the department to ensure availability of seeds in the affected blocks. He urged the department to make 260 ponds deeper immediately and ensure its completion in 2016. Distribution of pump sets among the farmers is an ongoing process, he said. As of now, 6300 pump sets have been distributed. He directed the department to distribute 10,000 pump sets by December 2015.
Principal secretary, Jal Chhajan programmes, informed that 773 check dams will be built by the department. It has been decided that short-term tenders will be published and successful contractor should be allotted the work to start it at the earliest. Chief engineer, drinking water and sanitation department, said that funds have been provided to repair hand pumps in all districts, blocks and panchayats. It has been decided to complete the work by December 15, 2015 on war footing.
Officers of different department were present in the meeting.