Drought workers to get wheat as wages

Gandhinagar, April 28: The Gujarat Government has decided to provide 10 kg wheat in advance every week to labourers engaged in drought rel...

Gandhinagar, April 28: The Gujarat Government has decided to provide 10 kg wheat in advance every week to labourers engaged in drought relief works in many parts of the state.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who yesterday visited drought relief works in Dholera area of Ahmedabad district, said in a statement that 10 kg wheat would be given in advance against the foodgrain given to labourers engaged in drought relief works.

The decision to give wheat in advance was taken in case the payment of the labourers was delayed, he said.

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The Chief Minister personally supervised relief works in the area and took stock of the situation, prevailing due to the severe drought in several parts of the state.

Patel, accompanied by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Corporation chairman Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama and the Collector, visited two relief works providing employment to labourers in the drought-hit areas of Ahmedabad district.

He distributed two kg wheat to the labourers and said under the Central Government scheme 20 kg of wheat at the rate of Rs two per kg would be provided to the people living below the poverty line, in addition to the 12.5 kg being already provided to them by the state.

Referring to the drinking water supply, Patel said the work on the Rs 750 crore Pariaj-Kanival pipeline project has been undertaken on a war footing and this would help ease the drinking water problem of Ahmedabad district.

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Meanwhile, the Gujarat Government today decided to simplify the procedure of payment of subsidy to cattle houses for maintaining cattle heads to prevent delay in payment to them in view of prevailing drought condition in the state.

The decision was taken at an all-party meeting here where leaders of various political parties called for measures to overcome the natural calamity and extended cooperation to the government to meet the situation.

The government also decided to implement a suggestion to include the cattle of the Maldharis (cattle breeders) for maintenance at the cattle houses run by private voluntary organisations in different areas, official sources said.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, was attended by Revenue Minister Vajubhai Vala, Water Supply Minister Narottambhai Patel, Industries Minister Suresh Mehta, Health Minister Ashok Bhatt, Hiralal of Sankat Nivaran Society, Haribhai Panchal of Sadvichar Parivar, representatives of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Subhash Shelat (Cong MLA) Upendra Trivedi (independent MLA) and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Amarsinh Chaudhary.