AP to receive Rs. 714 cr as drought relief from Centre

Agitating CPI(M) leader Y. Venkateswar Rao being bundled into police van when they were trying to protest before Inter-Ministerial Central drought team (IMCT) which arrived in Hyderabad to study the drought conditions in Andhra Pradesh. A file photo: Mohammed Yousuf

The Government of India has granted a sum of Rs 714 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Andhra Pradesh towards drought relief.

In a letter to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar informed that the Central government has approved an amount of Rs 706.15 crore from the NDRF, “subject to adjustment of 75 per cent of balance available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the drought of 2011.”

Another Rs 8 crore would be released from the special component of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for repair of damaged drinking water supply systems, a press release from the CMO said.

The State government had sought a sum of Rs 3,744 crore as financial assistance from the Centre towards drought relief measures.

In all, 856 mandals (tehsils) in the State were declared as drought-affected in 2011 because of scanty and deficit rainfall.