Worried that 2015 would repeat in AP which witnessed over 2,000 deaths due to intense heat wave, the state government on Monday decided to gear up the official machinery to tackle any emergency arising out of heat wave sweeping the 13 districts of the state. The cabinet under the chairmanship of CM Chandrababu Naidu met here on Monday and resolved to create a contingency fund of Rs 39 crore to extend relief measures to the vulnerable sections by way of distributing buttermilk and ORS sachets to prevent sunstroke deaths.

The cabinet has also proposed to restore defunct lift schemes at a cost of Rs 450 crore. The government decided to increase the number of jobless workers engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme from 13 lakh to 20 lakh.

Besides, directives have been issued to the district authorities entrusted with the execution of the NREGS to engage workers in the morning and evening sessions to give them relief from scorching sun in the noon. Water distribution centres will be set up at work and public places, a minister added.