Jaipur: Rajasthan govt’s decision to declare 80 tehsils across 14 districts drought-affected has raised questions over the exclusion of other areas, with internal assessments indicating that drought-like conditions prevail in nearly twice as many districts.The two notifications issued Sunday cover selected tehsils, primarily in western Rajasthan, despite reports suggesting wider distress. Ajmer, Anupgarh, Jaipur, Nagaur, Didwana-Kuchaman, Bhilwara and Rajsamand are among the districts where drought-like conditions have reportedly raised concerns.Officials familiar with the assessments said several districts warranted closer consideration for drought declaration, but the final notifications covered only selected tehsils.“Based on reports submitted by district collectors, all tehsils meeting the prescribed criteria should have been considered. However, few tehsils were selected by senior officials, ignoring the fact that situation in several districts requires immediate attention,” an official said. He added that govt appeared to have withheld drought-affected status from other tehsils until after the Panchayati Raj polls to avoid creating panic.A drought declaration enables the administration to activate targeted relief measures based on the severity of distress. These may include prioritising drinking water supply, deploying tankers where necessary, arranging fodder for livestock, undertaking relief and employment works, and extending eligible assistance to farmers under applicable norms. It also helps district administrations plan and coordinate scarce water resources and other relief measures in affected areas.Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully accused Bhajan Lal Sharma govt of being unjust to farmers by limiting the declaration to 80 tehsils.“Rajasthan has 41 districts and 425 tehsils, yet the govt has declared only 80 tehsils drought-affected despite indications of a much wider crisis. Instead of acknowledging the ground reality and providing relief to farmers, the state govt is shirking its responsibility,” Jully said.He demanded that govt make public the district collectors’ reports and the criteria used to identify drought-hit areas. He also called for fresh assessment based on rainfall deficiency, crop damage and ground conditions, alleging that several affected areas had been left out.The limited coverage has brought the drought assessment process under scrutiny, with questions over whether govt adequately considered district-level findings before finalising the notifications.
