The Hindu Business Line : AP seeks Rs 1,200 cr for drought relief

THE Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has sought an immediate assistance of Rs 1,200 crore and 22.5 lakh tonnes of rice from the Centre for undertaking drought relief measures in the State. Of this, Rs 350 crore was sought for providing employment to the affected people.

The Chief Minister explained to the Inter-Ministerial Central team, which came here to assess the impact of drought in the State, that the estimated crop loss was Rs 1,550 crore in this year's Kharif season.

The total cropped area during the season came down to 76.14 lakh hectares (lh) from 79.52 lh. Only 19.78 lh was covered by the paddy crop as against the normal area of 25 lh. This had led to a production loss of 20.16 lakh tonnes of paddy.

Though groundnut was cultivated in a larger area of 15.65 lh as against the normal area of 14.18 lh, the Chief Minister said that the crop was damaged to the extent of 8.56 lh due to the lack of water. Besides, several villages were facing problems such as scarcity of drinking water and fodder.

The Central team, headed by Ms Anjali Prasad, called on the Chief Minister on Tuesday before going for a wrap-up meeting with the State officials. In the last two days, the team visited the districts of Chittoor, Cuddapah, Medak and Karimnagar.

The Chief Minister, according to an official press release, told the team that farm labourers were migrating from villages in search of livelihood on account of deficit rainfall and meagre flow of Krishna waters into the State. Even the inflows into the Sri Ram Sagar Project on Godavari river were the lowest, since the project was commissioned 20 years ago.

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