State seeks Rs. 894 cr. for drought relief

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, AUG. 3. The State Government has now sought Central assistance of Rs. 894.45 crores for drought relief measures, an increase of Rs. 158.36 crores over the amount sought in its July 17 memorandum to the Centre.

More money has been sought because the number of taluks affected by drought has gone up to 146. When the memorandum was sent, 127 taluks had been identified as drought- hit. In its memorandum, the State Government had sought a sum of Rs. 736.09 crores.

The eight-member Central team, headed by Mr. P.K. Mishra, Managing Director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), deputed to assess the drought situation in the State, visited 10 districts. The State Government, at a meeting with the members of the Central team today, requested them to prevail upon the Centre to release Rs. 100 crores immediately to take up relief measures in 146 of the 175 taluks in the State.

The Minister for Revenue, Mr. H.C. Srikantaiah, speaking to presspersons after the meeting with the team, said that the members of the team were convinced that the drought situation was grave in several parts of the State.

The team was of the opinion that even if the drought-hit districts received rainfall in the coming days, there was no prospect of harvesting crops.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, briefed the Central team in detail on the relief measures initiated by the Government to help the people in the affected areas.

He said the projected loss on account of the drought from the agricultural and the horticultural sectors would be Rs. 3,097.21 crores - Rs. 2,479.21 crores and Rs. 618 crores, respectively.

According to the State Government's new projection, the requirement of funds for relief measures is as follows: agriculture - Rs. 154.91 crores, horticulture - Rs. 50.50 crores, health - Rs. 26.33 crores, special nutrition - Rs. 39.33 crores, employment - Rs. 492.56 crores, rural drinking water supply - Rs. 81.82 crores, urban drinking water supply - Rs. 20 crores, and animal husbandry - Rs. 29 crores.

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Section  : Southern States
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