New Delhi: The government on August 4 announced further relief, including release of additional amount of Rs 714.20 crore under the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF), for 12 states facing draught on account of monsoon deficiency.

"A further amount of Rs 7,14.20 crore towards the second installment will be released now to the 12 states," the Prime Minister's Office said in a press release.

Release of additional funds under the CRF would be in addition to Rs 483.56 crore already released to these states.

The relief measures were discussed by a task force appointed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and headed by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani at its August 1 meeting.

The release said that government would take all necessary steps to provide quick relief for the initial two-month period of August-September this year since the full impact of the monsoon deficiency would be known by August 15.

Other measures taken in this context include an amount of Rs 538 crore already released to these states under the Acclerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP).

States would be required to provide an equal matching share. Of the Rs 538 crore, an amount of Rs 53.80 crore would be used for repair and renovation of existing drinking water resources, the release said.

PTI