Mayawati demands Rs 7016 cr package for Bundelkhand

Lucknow, Dec 29 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today once again demanded Rs 7,016 crore Drought Mitigation Package from the centre for the drought-hit Bundelkhand region.

Besides, the CM instructed the officers to ensure effective action so that the Rs 7,016 crore meant for tackling the drought problem of all the affected districts of the Bundelkhand region, is sanctioned by the centre.

In the package, Rs 2,149 crore have been proposed for the relief and other development works, while Rs 4,867 crore have been proposed for the middle and long-term schemes.

Following the directives of Ms Mayawati, state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh along with senior officers had reviewed the development and relief works in the drought hit Bundelkhand region, at a meeting in Hamirpur yesterday.

Mr Singh informed the officers of Bundelkhand that all the schemes and programmes sanctioned for the region should be implemented on priority.

''Any laxity and slackness in relief work will not be tolerated,'' he had added.

Keeping in view the severity of the drinking water crisis in Bundelkhand, the CM has given instructions for deepening of wells, repair of all non-functional handpumps, timely completion of deep boring machines in all the development blocks.

She further directed the Public Works Department to relax the norms of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme so that old people and women can also be provided employment.

UNI