The Center has released Rs. 714 crores to Andhra Pradesh from the National Response Disaster Fund (NRDF) towards drought relief.  The chief minister’s office has confirmed the same. The union minister for agriculture, Sharad Pawar has written a letter to the State Government mentioning that the Centre has approved the release of the said amount to the state for the drought that took place in 2011.

The chief minister’s office has also informed that another eight crore rupees would be released from National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for repairing the damaged drinking water supply system.

It has to be mentioned here that the State Government has sought the financial assistance from the Government of India. It has asked the Centre to release 3,744 crore rupees in order to undertake drought relief programmes.

It may be noted that Andhra Pradesh Government has declared as many as 856 mandals as drought-affected last year due to in low rainfall.

Now that the Centre has agreed for the releasing funds, we have to await and see as to how best the government is going to utilize them. We hope that leaders don’t eat up these funds and later throw their names in spotlight for wrong reasons and scams. (Phani)