New Delhi: In view of a deficient
monsoon, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday reviewed the crop
situation in the country and directed officials to haves
contingency plans in place.
Singh chaired a meeting to review the monsoon
situation with top officials of the India Meteorological
Department and the Agriculture Ministry before leaving for a
five-day visit to France and Egypt.
Highly placed sources said that Singh was apprised of
the agricultural situation across the country and officials
expected that 95 percent of sowing operations would be
completed this month.
The weather office expects monsoon to be near normal
in July, which is crucial for the 235-million strong farming
community.
The Prime Minister directed the officials to keep a
close track of the situation and have contingency plans in
place to meet any eventuality, the sources said.
The IMD had forecast below normal rainfall this year
in June. It said the country was expected to receive 93 percent rains of the average rainfall for the season while
northwestern regions would get deficient rains.
The country as a whole has received near normal
rainfall last week and 21 out of the 36 meteorological
sub-divisions received normal to excess rains. In the rest 15
sub-divisions, rainfall was either deficient or scanty, the
weather office said.
Bureau Report
