Monsoon woes: Jharkhand declared drought-hit

Ranchi: Entire Jharkhand has been declared drought-hit following scanty rainfall.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the Advisory Council of the Governor on Saturday, a Raj Bhavan release said in Ranchi.

Earlier, the Council had announced 11 of the 24 districts as drought-hit.

In the face of severe drought, it was decided to distribute grains free of cost to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, besides setting up of grain godowns at district and block headquarters.

The administration has also decided to allot 12,500 new ration shops to BPL women and self-help groups.

The Council asked the administration to strengthen the PDS through door step delivery by August 5.

The administration has approved Rs 11.19 crore for the implementation of these welfare measures, the release said.