The reason the five states – Goa, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland – will not be up for the drought-fund was that they have not submitted utilization certificates for calamity funds released in earlier years. As if in confirmation, the government said Thursday that Nagaland has yet to receive any fund. The reasons why Nagaland had not been allocated funds could not explained by the state. Interestingly, when this report was being filed neither the state nor the department of Agriculture had any indication on what could be the reason. Nagaland state had pegged the financial aid at Rs. 74.76 crore needed from the centre – if at all granted by the Central government, that is.
Utilization certificates for calamity not yet submitted
Webnews portal Herald today reported that Goa, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland have not been released money from the central calamity relief fund. This was because these states have not submitted utilization certificates of previously granted relief funds, the report said.
Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry said Thursday that the petition to the Centre for drought-mitigation funds has yet to be granted. Also, Director for Agriculture Dr. Supong Keitzer said if at all the request for mitigation funds are approved, it would be through and to the nodal district administrations of affected districts. He also expressed uncertainty whether or not the Centre has granted Nagaland the funds.
With the Central funds still skirting around uneasy probability, the state’s Agriculture department in the meantime has been compelled into undertaking mitigation strategies. Intensified efforts are underway to ‘recompense’ the loss of agriculture production in Nagaland – roughly estimated at about Rs. 109 Crore loss this year.
While awaiting the Centre’s assistance, the Nagaland Agriculture department is on an intensified mitigation drive across the state. The delayed monsoon and scanty rain this year had severely eaten into the state’s agriculture production – especially in food grain, with particular reference to rice. The option now, Dr. Keitzer said Thursday, is farming winter crops as a mitigation measure to ‘make up for what was lost.’ He said concentrated supplies of various seeds, including of mustard, potatoe and wheat are being distributed to all the districts.
Also, Minister Dr. Murry said supplies of different double-cropping crops for the winter are been supplied. According to the minister, the deficit in agriculture production loss in Nagaland this year would be known only after the harvest. This estimates would be probably by November, Dr. Murry said.
Declared drought-hit, the Nagaland government on September 17 sought relief assistance amounting to Rs. 74.76 crore from the Government of India. The break-up of the total was Rs. 3088 Lakh for the Agriculture department, Rs. 1138.42 Lakh for Horticulture, Rs. 116.5 Lakh for Sericulture, Rs. 1058 Lakh for Fisheries and Rs. 2075.72 Lakh for Veterinary & Animal husbandry.
The request for grant was submitted to the inter-ministerial central team for drought relief when it visited Nagaland from September 14 to the 17th. It is understood that the relief funds were to be sanctioned – if granted – under the National Calamity Contingency Fund. The total crop areas affected in Nagaland was estimated to be at 108, 966 hectares.