Haryana facing drought-like situation: Hooda

Chandigarh: With Haryana facing 70 per cent deficit rainfall during the current monsoon, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday demanded an assistance of Rs 4,050 crore from the Centre to bail out the state from the "drought-like situation."

A demand to this effect was made by Hooda to Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Jairam Ramesh during their review meeting with the state government top brass on the drought-like condition in the state.

Hooda also demanded a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy and Rs 100 on other crops.

Hooda also demanded a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy and Rs 100 on other crops.

During the meeting Ramesh said an additional budget of 30 per cent under the MANREGA would be provided, Hooda told reporters after the meeting.

"Farmers in Haryana have to suffer a huge loss in view of scanty rainfall," he, said, adding, the Central Ministers admitted that a drought-like situation prevailed in Haryana.

On being asked whether the state would be declared drought-hit, the Chief Minister said that a drought-like situation prevailed in Haryana.

He, however, said that things have shown improvement after rainfall in the past couple of days.

"The monsoon season is not over yet...I hope good rainfall will take place in the coming days...if it doesn't then the government will review the situation once again," he said.

Hooda also said that the state government had done a lot to bail out farmers from the present crisis.

The Centre had agreed to give an assistance of Rs 160 crore to Haryana for potable water with Rs 115 crore of it already released to the state, he added.

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