Centre releases Rs 1,540 cr to K'taka for drought relief

The Centre on Saturday released Rs 1,540 crore to Karnataka to take up relief works in drought-hit districts.

In its order, the Ministry of Finance said these funds should be utilised to take up programmes in the drought-hit areas. Though a high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had approved the relief package on November 9, 2015, the money was not released to Karnataka so far.

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to take steps to release funds at the earliest.

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 hit more then 30 lakh hectares of agriculture and horticulture crops and the total loss was estimated to the tune of Rs 15,636 crore.