Click to play videoNew Delhi: Ahead of the Prime Minister's meeting with the State Chief Ministers on Monday to discuss the issue of drought in the country, CNN-IBN has learnt that Government has prepared a plan to tackle the situation. A group of ministers (GoM) under Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be looking into the schemes.
Government’s primary focus now is to save standing crops. Irrigation water is to be increased and Ministry Of Water Resources will be pooled in for this.
If crop can't be saved, then pulses and oilseeds that can grow in drier conditions will be planted.
Rabi crop to be planted earlier than the usual time. States like Gujarat and Karnataka which have had normal or extra monsoon will get extra fertiliser to boost yield.
Government will also keep a close vigil of grain markets for parity of prices across the country.
The GoM headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee have been given powers to start new schemes to fight drought effect
However, experts say the plan is too little, too late.
Food Policy Analyst Devender Sharma,"The Government is terribly late in bring out this plan. This should have happened at least 3 years back. Farmers have already to shifted to crops such as pulses because the know the cropping mechanism.”
In order to tackle the subsequent fallout of unemployment, the government also plans to increase the State allocation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and is likely to push other employment generating schemes but what’s needed perhaps is a quick implementation of plans as there are greater lives and livelihood at stake.
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