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Syed Amin Jafri
The Andhra Pradesh government is seeking massive assistance of Rs 8.5 billion from the central government for undertaking drought relief measures in the state.
Briefing newsmen after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said state ministers for revenue and civil supplies are going to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
They will also meet Union agriculture and food ministers to apprise them about the severe drought situation and to seek central assistance.
Naidu said he will also visit Delhi to meet the prime minister.
He said the state cabinet decided to declare all the 22 rural districts in the state as drought-affected.
He said the rainfall deficit worked out to 35 percent from June 1 to end of July this season.
He said only 32 percent of the normal cropping area was covered so far during the current Kharif season.
He said the water level had decreased in all the major reservoirs and hydel generation had come to a standstill in Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam power stations.
The chief minister said the state government has already sanctioned Rs 1.75 billion for augmentation of drinking water supply, crop insurance, assistance to farmers and employment generation in the drought-affected areas.
The money has been earmarked from various central and state schemes. The district collectors have been asked to take up relief measures on a war-footing.
He said the cabinet discussed the drought situation and finalised a memorandum to be submitted to the central government for seeking assistance of Rs 8.5 billion, besides 600,000 tonnes of free rice for food-for-work programmes.
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