New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought an immediate financial assistance of over Rs 5000 crore from the Centre to tackle the drought situation in Bihar.
In Bihar, 28 districts have been declared as famine-hit.
After the meeting, Kumar told reporters that the Prime Minister gave him assurance of a visit by the central team to assess the situation.
"Bihar is facing severe drought-like situation and because of scanty rainfall we had to declare 28 out of 38 districts as drought-affected. Remaining 10 districts have also been kept under surveillance. If there is no rain in August we will have to declare these district also as drought affected," Kumar said.
The Bihar chief minister said that immediate financial assistance from the Centre is required to meet the situation in his state as "we have negative balance in state calamity relief fund".
The state government will need more funds to tackle the situation but that will be discussed with the Centre in second stage after provision is done for the initial assistance, he said.
"Right from 2007, we have been suffering from natural calamities. In 2007, 22 districts were badly hit by floods that affected 25 million people. In 2008, we had to face Kosi tragedy. Thereafter in 2009, 26 out of 38 districts were affected by drought. This year, intensity (of drought) is much more than the last year," he said.
Hopeful of a central assistance, Kumar said that state government is tackling the situation with the resources available with it. "But, the Centre should also fulfill its responsibility," he said.
He said funds are required to meet various requirements that emerge because of drought situation in the state.
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