Drought relief: Centre grants Rs 1,540 crore to State

The Centre on Monday sanctioned Rs 1,540 crore to Karnataka for taking up relief programmes in drought-hit areas.

A high-level committee chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the release of funds under the National Disaster Relief Fund.

Earlier, Karnataka had sought Rs 3,800 crore from the Centre to take up relief works in 136 drought-hit taluks. The State government claimed that drought had hit more than 30 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural crops and the total loss was estimated at Rs 15,636 crore.

Of the targeted 73 lakh hectares of sowing area in this year kharif, only 60 lakh hectares have been sown. While north Karnataka faces 32 per cent deficiency in rainfall, several parts of the State witnessed severe drinking water scarcity, the government stated in its memorandum to the Centre.