Centre Releases Over Rs 2,000 Cr Assistance To Tamil Nadu For Drough Relief

Chennai: The Centre released more than Rs 2,000 crore on Friday as assistance to Tamil Nadu for drought relief and other works.

"The Central Government released an amount of Rs 2014.45 crore as Central Assistance for Tamil Nadu yesterday," a PIB release here said.

The state government had sought more than Rs 39,000 crore to take up the works following which an inter-Ministerial Central team (IMCT) was deputed by the Centre to assess the situation.

A high-level committee (HLC) meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on March 23 had recommended the quantum of assistance based on the recommendations of IMCT and the Sub Committee of the National Executive Committee, it said. The assistance to Tamil Nadu includes Rs 1748.28 crore for drought (Kharif), Rs 264.11 crore for cyclonic storm Vardha and Rs 2.06 crore under National Rural Drinking Water Programme, the release added.

The state government had sought more than Rs 39,000 crore to take up the works following which an inter-Ministerial Central team (IMCT) was deputed by the Centre to assess the situation

Facing its worst drought in 140 years and the destruction casused by Cyclone Vardah here in December last, the state government had sought Rs 39,565 crore relief package from the Centre. The state government has declared all 32 districts in the state as drought-hit.

PTI