Hyderabad, Aug 11 :
The monsoons have failed this year and the state received only 44 percent of the normal rainfall. Only two districts in the state have recorded normal rainfall while the rest of 21 districts the rainfall was either scanty or deficit, said while addressing the Assembly here on Tuesday.
He reiterated the statement that the government has not yet declared many of the districts as drought hit for the sole reason that the farers will not be getting any loans from the banks once they are declared as drought affected areas.
In view of the scanty rainfall this year the government has asked the senior officers in the state to take a stock of the situation and come up with proposals to counter the drought situation in the state. The centre has also been approached seeking the release of funds for drought, the CM added.
Keeping in view the ordeals of the agriculturists in the rural areas, schemes have been drawn up by the Agriculture department to provide 3.5 lakh quintals of seeds of various crops to be sown in 11 lakh hectares of land, he explained.
Referring to the subsidy on seeds to the farmers he said the government approached the Centre to seek additional funds of Rs 93 crore from Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Yojana for seed subsidy.
Referring to the drinking water purpose schemes the CM said the district collectors were asked to use a major amount of the funds released under the Backward Regions Growth Fund for the purpose.