The government today announced a relief package of over 1,900 crore rupees to States facing drought-like situation. It also offered fifty per cent subsidy on Diesel to the farmers in the places where shortfall of rains have occured. Talking to reporters in New Delhi after meeting of Empowered Group of Ministers, EGoM, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said 25 per cent of the subsidy on diesel will be borne by the Centre and 25 percent of it will be shared by State governments.

The EGoM approved 1,440 crore rupees to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat under integrated watershed management programme.

Another 453 crore rupees will be given under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme , NRDWP to Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Rajasthan and Haryana. The EGoM approved release of 38 crore rupees under NRDWP to Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

He said that the contingency plan prepared by the Centre also include some other measures to tackle the drought like situation in various states. The Minister said that the contingency plan has been made for those 320 districts where monsoon rains have been poor. The measure also include provision of knowledge input twice a week and quality seeds for alternate crop.

Besides these measures, the government is also trying to provide States with additional electricity to draw water from tubewells. The Minister said the Centre has sanctioned 300 Mega Watt of power to Punjab and Haryana and about 275 Megawatt for Uttar Pradesh for the purpose.

Mr Pawar said that till yesterday 20 per cent defficiency in over all rainfall was registered. Stating that 306 districts have received deficient rains and 94 districts got scanty rainfall out of 627 districts, he said sowing area is lower than the last year and there will be some setback in kharif crops.