JOIN USThe Centre on Tuesday said it has sanctioned Rs 1,540 crore for Karnataka to taking up relief programmes in drought hit area.
The fund was released based on recommendations were by a high-level team of officials from the Centre which visited drought-hit areas recently, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told reporters here.
Earlier, Karnataka had sought Rs 3, 800 crore from the Centre to take up relief works in 136 drought-hit taluks. The State claimed that drought affected agriculture and horticulture crops on more than 30 lakh hectares and the total loss was estimated to the tune of 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 is facing 32 per cent deficiency in rainfall, several parts of the State witnessed severe drinking water scarcity, the State said in its memorandum to the Centre.