CM urges Central team to expedite `1,090 crore aid for drought relief

234 mandals in 9 districts are drought affectedA

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday requested the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to expedite the Central assistance of Rs 1090.78 crore sought by his government to meet the drought mitigation relief works, drinking water supply etc.

The IMCT lead by Joint Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture Sanjeev Gupta called on the Chief Minister at the latter's office and discussed about the drought conditions that prevailed in Anantapur, Mahbubnagar, Kadapa and Kurnool, where the central team visited in the last three days.

The government was seeking central assistance to provide drought relief in agriculture, horticulture, rural water supply, urban water supply and relief employment. The Chief Minister also informed the team that his government released Rs 1816.91 crore towards input subsidy benefitting 52.56 lakh farmers in drought affected districts in 2011.

Reddy said that 234 mandals were declared as drought affected in 9 districts and an area of 12.60 lakh hectares belonging to small and marginal farmers and 2.28 lakh hectares of other farmers has been affected in 2011.