Central team to study Odisha drought

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Sep 22, 2015 at 9:13 PM Updated On : Sep 22, 2015 at 9:26 PM

New Delhi, Sep 22:

The central government will shortly send a team to Odisha for taking stock of the drought situation in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

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The direction for setting up the team was given by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

The team will consist of officers of the agriculture ministry and a representative of ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute at Cuttack.

“The team … will shortly visit Odisha for assessment of drought situation and to suggest remedial measures,” the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who belongs to Odisha, urged the agriculture minister to depute a central team to the state and suggest remedial measures to combat agrarian and rural distress.

Pradhan said as many as eight districts – Dhenkanal, Khurda, Bolangir, Boudh, Bargarh, Subarnapur, Kandhamal and Keonjhar- had received less than normal rainfall this year.

In addition, agricultural activities in 103 blocks in 23 districts were adversely affected, he added. (IANS)