Karnataka seeks Rs 3,705 cr Centre aid as drought grips 217 taluks

Bengaluru, Oct 3 (UNI) Karnataka on Saturday sought Rs 3,705.30 crore in drought relief from the Centre as a Central assessment team began a three-day visit to the state to assess the severity of the situation across 217 of its 240 taluks declared drought-hit. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who met the Central Inter-Ministerial Team led by union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar Sahu here, urged the Centre to provide relief as per the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms. He sought a fair and just relief package, saying the state had scientifically assessed the drought…