The state government in Andhra Pradesh has urged the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) of Government of India to speed up the process to release the drought relief funds for the state.

Chief Minister Sri N. Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the IMCT to immediately release the Rs. 1090.78 crores for carrying out drought relief works including drinking water supply and others. The IMCT, which is headed by Sanjeev Gupta, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, met the Chief Minister to discuss drought relief works in Ananthapuram and Mahabubnagar districts in the state.

The state government estimates that 12.60 Lakh Hectares belonging to Small and Marginal farmers and 2.28 lakh Ha of other farmers have been affected by the drought. It had declared 234 mandals in 9 districts in the State as Drought affected and has sought central assistance to provide relief works in the fields of Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Water supply, Urban water supply, Relief employment and others, according to a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The central team touring the state includes Sri A. NandaKumar, Director, Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dr K. Manoharan, Director Incharge, Agriculture Crops Division, Sri A. Paramesham, S. E, Ministry of Water Resources Circle Krishna and Godavari Basin., Sri S. S. Ray, NCFC., Sri Kalyan Chakravarthy, Executive Director, Food and Public Distribution., Sri Deena Nath, Deputy Director, Agriculture and Cooperation., Sri Manas Choudhary, Dy Advisor for Fisheries, Planning Commission., Sri Renuka Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Rural Development, and Sri Balasubrahmanyam, Dy. Advisor, Agriculture and Cooperation, Sri T. Radha, Commissioner, Disaster Management and other senior officials from State Government.