New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka today to discuss and review the drought and water scarcity in the states.
The Chief Ministers of these three states -- Akhilesh Yadav, Devendra Fadnavis and S Siddaramaiah will meet the Prime Minister separately. Ministers and officials of concerned Ministries will also be present at the meeting.
Apart from taking stock of the situation, Modi will also review steps taken by the states to address drought-related problems. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka are worst hit by the twin problems.
The Centre has already made it clear that while it was doing its bit to provide relief to those affected by the drought, it was for the states themselves to address the situation on the ground.
"The Centre's role is to monitor and the state's role is to provide assistance and help the affected people at ground level," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had said in Rajya Sabha recently while replying to a debate on drought.
The Central government does its bit, but all state governments should also do their best in addressing the drought situation, he had said. Singh had insisted that farmers are a priority for the Central government and it was taking adequate measures.
Recently, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha had directed all the Ministries dealing with the drought situation to release additional funds to the states as soon as the Finance Bill gets approved. This, he said, was necessary as the onset of monsoon is approaching soon.
