New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS): The central government will shortly send a team to Odisha for taking stock of the drought situation in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

The direction for setting up the team was given by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

The team will consist of officers of the agriculture ministry and a representative of ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute at Cuttack.

"The team ... will shortly visit Odisha for assessment of drought situation and to suggest remedial measures," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who belongs to Odisha, urged the agriculture minister to depute a central team to the state and suggest remedial measures to combat agrarian and rural distress.

Pradhan said as many as eight districts - Dhenkanal, Khurda, Bolangir, Boudh, Bargarh, Subarnapur, Kandhamal and Kenosha - had received less than normal rainfall this year.

In addition, agricultural activities in 103 blocks in 23 districts were adversely affected, he added.