Hyderabad:
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 Chief Minister's Office 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.