Digvijay Singh slams Mayawati for overlooking UP's draught like situation

New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): Congress leader Digvijay Singh has slammed the Mayawati Government for failing to assess and tackle the draught-like situation in Uttar Pradesh, despite Central Government's financial assistance.

More than a quarter of the districts in the top sugarcane-producing state are in the grip of a drought, threatening to cut output in the world's top consumer and leading importer of sugar.

"Annual funds given by the finance commission as grant from central government to tackle a drought or natural calamity like situation are still lying with government of Uttar Pradesh.

"They should immediately send a memorandum to the central government so that a team can come to assess the situation and decide whether a natural calamity needs to be declared. But it seems that Behenji is not taking required measures except giving political statements. It feels like Behenji is unaware of the reality," said Singh.

The monsoon rains were far short of normal last month and revived in most parts of the country in July except in key grain-producing states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Twenty out of 71 Uttar Pradesh districts have received barely 40 percent of the normal rainfall so far during the monsoon.

Local officials say the crop was barely surviving in the state and was likely to give a lower yield of cane, which in turn would have a lower sugar content.

India has contracted imports of about 2.5 million tonnes of raw sugar this year and traders expect the country to buy another 3 million tonnes this fiscal. (ANI)