Patna:
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday declared entire Bihar as drought-hit and said his government was taking various measure to provide relief to the affected farmers.
"Bihar is facing natural calamity for the fourth year in succession ... While the state faced devastating floods in 2007 and 2008, drought has hit the state for the second year in succession. Despite the state facing natural calamities, Bihar is on the path of development," he said while at the Independence Day celebrations at the historic Gandhi Maidan here.
The government had on August 3 declared 28 out of the 38 districts in Bihar as drought hit.
Those declared affected today are Saharsa, Supaul, Purnea Madhepura, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Araria and Katihar.
Kumar said as a first step towards providing relief to the affected farmers, the state government had postponed recovery of cooperative loans, land rent cess, irrigation taxes and electricity surcharge related to agriculture for 2010-11.
It has sanctioned Rs 570 crore for diesel subsidy to farmers at the rate of Rs 20 per litre, besides ordering uninterrupted power supply in rural areas so that farmers could irrigate their parched fields. The government will also generate jobs under MNREGA, he said. PTI US KK
Kumar said the state has demanded Rs 5062 crore special package to deal with the drought. ''But given the past experience of central assistance, which had not been very encouraging the Bihar government will take up rehabilitation work through its own resources.''
"We will take measures from our own resources to ensure that people do not feel the pangs of hunger or suffer from the lack of potable water."
Bihar was on the path of development despite the state facing natural calamities for the fourth year in succession, he claimed and added that he had succeeded in establishing the rule of law.
"Bihar will become a developed state by 2015," he said.
Listing the achievements of his government, Kumar said when NDA took over the reins of the state in 2005 more than 25 lakh students were out of schools.The number decreased to seven lakh this year and the dropout rate had also come down.
He claimed that 4.9 lakh girl students were enrolled in class nine this year as against 1.7 lakh in 2005 thanks to the dress and bi-cycle scheme launched by the state government.
Top class roads were being constructed across the state and the state capital could be reached from anywhere within it.
Besides, the state would become self-reliant in power in the next five years as many thermal power plants, including the 500 MW at Barauni, 400 MW at Kanti and 2000 MW at Nabinagar were being constructed.
A number bridges on Ganga, Gandak, Bagmati, Kosi , Sone and Burhi Gandak rivers were being constructed, he added.
A number of tableaux projecting Bihar's changed image were taken out on the occassion.