Sushil Kumar Modi addresses the news meet in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Aug. 5: The chief minister and his former deputy are caught in the debate on whether the state should be declared drought-hit or not.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today demanded that the state government should immediately declare “drought” because of deficient rainfall that Bihar has received since the onset of monsoon in early June.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, on the other hand, said today that there is no need, as of now, to approach the Centre for any assistance to deal with drought-like situation prevailing in the state following deficient rainfall. The state is taking steps on its own to tackle the situation, Nitish added.

Nitish made it clear that the situation to declare the state “drought-hit” has not reached and the government would not make any delay in either sending the report or approaching the Centre whenever such a situation arises.

“The time has not come to put across our demands to the Centre to deal with drought-like situation. The government is taking corrective steps. We are giving diesel subsidy to irrigate land to protect the crop and saplings. We have ensured eight-hour unabated power supply to rural areas for the purpose, besides suggesting alternative crop,” Nitish told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly janata durbar at his official residence 1 Aney Marg.

Nitish, who is hopeful of the state receiving rainfall in the coming days, said: “We have been keeping a tab on everything. There is a constant monitoring by the officers. As of now, there is no need to send any report to the Centre or to approach it for help. Whenever such a situation arises, we will not take a minute in appealing to the Centre for help.”

The BJP, however, is crying hoarse over declaring the state “drought-hit” because doing so would help farmers tackle the drought situation that has been looming large in Bihar.

Modi, the former deputy chief minister, said drought declaration would immediately stop the collection of land rent, electricity bill, recovery of loans given by commercial and cooperative banks, rescheduling of bank loans besides enabling the state government of taking benefits of Calamity Relief Fund and National Calamity Contingency Fund.

Citing the figure for diesel subsidy for 2012-13, Modi said the government had sanctioned Rs 527 crore but merely Rs 172 crore was spent.