The central government has released Rs 1,447.99 crore to Tamil Nadu and Rs 1,782.44 crore to Karnataka as financial assistance for drought relief.
Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCT) were deputed to visit the drought affected areas for spot assessment of the calamity, as per a statement.
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh-headed High Level Committee (HLC) had recommended the quantum of assistance to the states based on the extant norms of assistance and the report of the IMCT.
The HLC has also advised the state governments to take utmost care and ensure that all the individual beneficiary-oriented assistance is mandatorily disbursed through the bank account of the beneficiaries.
In addition, the Central government has released Rs 264.11 crore from NDRF for providing aid to Tamil Nadu for the cyclonic storm 'Vardha' during December, 2016.
As per reports, more than 200 farmers have committed suicide in Tamil Nadu since the 2016 drought.
Many farmers from Tamil Nadu had been protesting for two weeks in Delhi with skulls of farmers who committed suicide. They demanded a drought relief package of Rs 40,000 crore from the Centre and farm loan waiver.
On Friday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the farmers and demanded drought relief and waiver of loans.
On Tuesday, DMK Working President M.K. Stalin met the protesting farmers and asked the Centre to promise loan waiver to Tamil Nadu farmers as it did to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh.
--IANS
spk/lok/bg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)