Bhopal, May 15: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the State Government have taken all possible administrative measures to provide relief to the affected people in drought-hit areas of the state and have sanctioned maximum financial assistance out of its own resources. Farmers are being provided relief for the first time including the drought in the category of natural calamity. Chouhan said that despite non-receipt of funds so far from the Union Government, the State Government have initiated steps making amendments in the existing provisions for drought relief.

The Chief Minister was reviewing the relief measures being adopted in drought-affected Chhatarpur district at a meeting at his official residence here today.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister made it clear that negligence and slackness on the part of government employees engaged in the execution of drought relief works would not be tolerated at all. He also directed to put the erring persons behind the bars who are found indulging in irregularities in distribution of foodgrains under the Mukhya Mantri Annapurna Yojana Chouhan issued the instructions to make the payment of wages to workers engaged in relief works as per the revised rates and to ensure immediate supply of electricity to non-operative piped water. He further directed to open relief works in every panchayat and to provide employment to the needy persons on priority basis where the situation is grave in the drought-hit areas. He asked the officers to ensure that the workers are paid wages as per the prescribed weekly schedule. He ordered inquiry into the cases relating to non-payment of wages to workers.

It was informed at the review meeting that arrangements have been made to ensure timely payment of wages to the workers digging of new tanks including renovation of ancient tanks and fodder in adequate quantity for cattle in the Chhatarpur region. Efforts are also been made to set up temporary cowsheds.

Those who attended the meeting include Member of Parliament Dr Ramkrishna Kusmariya, Barha Malehra MLA Kapurchand Dhuwara, Chhatarpur MLA Vikram Singh (Nati Raja), Bijawar MLA Jitendra Singh Bundela; Maharajpur MLA Ramdayal Ahirwar, Chandla MLA Vijay Bahadur Singh Bundela, Bundelkhand Development Authority Chairman Surendra Pratap Singh (Baby Raja); Energy Secretary Sanjay Bandopadhyay; Secretary, Rural Development Waseem Akhtar; Secretary, Public Health Engineering, PC Meena; Sagar Divisional Commissioner LS Baghel; Secretaries to CM SK Mishra and SPS Parihar and senior officers of the concerning departments.