The government has decided to revamp the taskforce on disaster management looking into speedy disbursal of men and material to states hit by natural calamities. Union food and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar also hinted at this proposal saying that drought relief is the joint responsibility of the Centre and states with a large scope for improvement.
Earlier the disaster management division was under the Union agriculture ministry. In the tenure of the erstwhile NDA government this division was shifted to the home ministry, leaving only drought management with the agriculture ministry.
Mr Pawar said, to provide only 10 days work in a month to the drought-hit populace was not enough and there was a need to expand the scope of food for work programmes. He said, to give employment to only below the poverty line families in these programmes was also not a correct move as in the times of drought their distinction with those above the poverty line was a foolhardy exercise.
