In an unseemly hurry the state finance minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta, today announced that the state government would declare eight districts drought-affected if there is a rainfall deficit till 15 August which is the deadline for paddy transplantation.

The prior announcement which was made apparently to help the farmers put their worries at rest came after the finance minister held meetings with agriculture minister Mr Naren De and disaster management minister Mortozza Hossain. The eight districts are North and South 24 Parganas, Purulia, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, West Midnapore and Birbhum. An area is declared drought-affected if sowing fails in 50 per cent of the cultivated land. The announcements are ususally made after the deadline and state government officials attribute the fact to the forthcoming elections. 

If the state announces an area as partially drought affected Rs 4,000 is given per hectare area of land and in case there is total drought, Rs 6,000 is given to farmers at per hectare area by the disaster management department. According to the agriculture department, there is still 30 per cent deficit in rainfall in south Bengal districts and paddy has been sowed over 18.5 lakh hectares which under normal rainfall comes to about 26.8 hectares around this time of the year. The state agriculture department will also distribute free minkit for alternate crops in case drought is declared.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, the parliamentary committee on agriculture said in its report presented to the Lok Sabha that neither the Centre nor states have learnt