The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has set up an 'emergency assistance committee' to tackle issues related to scarcity of water and fodder due to drought situation in the state.

The Government on Tuesday assured all “possible” help to drought-hit States, but ruled out any change in norms till 2015 for providing relief, rejecting demands for higher compensation by various R

BJP MPs demanded changes in norms for enhancement of compensation for drought.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs.706 crore toward immediate drought relief to the State from the National Disaster Response Fund.

This was in response to the letter written by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on March 24. Responding to the letter of the Chief Minister for release of funds on March 24, Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Sharad Pawar mentioned that Rs.706.15 crore from NDRF would be subject to adjustment of 75 per cent of balance available in the State Disaster Response Fund for the drought of 2011.

The State government has submitted a proposal to the Centre to release Rs 2,200 crore fund for drought management. But the Centre has not released any amount till date, said the former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

During his visit to Ammerahalli tank on Thursday, he said if the Centre releases the amount without any partiality, relief works will be started immediately in all the drought-hit districts of the State.

An all-party delegation led by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda will leave for Delhi in the third week of April to press for the release of Rs 2,200 crore for drought-relief works.

A letter in this regard has already been sent to the Union government, said Municipal Administration Minister S Suresh Kumar. He was speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday.

KPCC president G Parameshwara has demanded that the government should immediately release Rs 1,000 crore for providing relief to 21 drought-hit districts.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, the Congress leader alleged that the BJP government had shown no seriousness in addressing the drought situation, as it was embroiled in infighting.

Andhra Pradesh will request a Central assistance of Rs 3,006 crore towards drought relief according to the revised norms, the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, has said.

The Union government has released a sum of Rs 868 crore to take up minor irrigation projects in the drought-affected taluks of the State.

The State government had submitted a proposal to take up about 493 different minor irrigation projects in 81 drought-affected taluks at a cost of Rs 685 crore. Of these, the Centre approved 404 projects to be taken up in five phases, Secretary to Minor Irrigation Department P N Srinivasachary said.

Karnataka has sought Rs 2,605.99 cr

Citing that the drought situation in the State is indeed of a serious nature, the Central team which visited the State to assess the drought situation in December has opined that there is no exaggeration in Karnataka’s claims.