Rajasthan has opposed Drought Relief Manual 2016 and urged the centre to modify it according to the odd geographical conditions. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje raised the issue when she called on union home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday. She also demanded establishment of institutes on modernisation of policing to which the minister gave positive response for consideration.
Raje informed Singh that the norms of new manual brought by union agriculture ministry are very complex and impractical to implement in the odd geographical conditions of Rajasthan. “Several new conditions have been added to the manual to declare a drought affected area. In such a situation, it is necessary to reconsider the inevitability of implementing this new manual in Rajasthan,” Raje told Rajnath, says a statement released by the chief minister office (CMO).
Raje also gave example how the manual fails to cover the areas which were badly hit by the drought.
“Assessment conducted on Kharif crop between 16 September and 15 October has found over 50 percent crop damage 4065 revenue villages of 41 tehsils in 12 districts in Rajasthan.
Though, as per new conditions enforced under the manual there is a difficulty to declare four tehsils in Bhilwara district and three tehsils in Hanumangarh district scarcity affected.”
Raje also raised demands for modernisation of police in Rajasthan which borders Pakistan. She urged the home minister for establishment of a new Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalion, counter-terrorism institute in Jaipur and criminal justice institute in Jodhpur.
Another demand, she raised was on restoration of international border check posts. Raje said that as per the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Union Home Ministry, the 24 Border Intelligence Check Posts should be restored. Fund required for this should be reimbursed through Border Region Development Project or any other scheme. The home minister gave her assurance to consider all the demands.
Manual matters
Raje informed Singh that the norms of new manual brought by union agriculture ministry are very complex
