New Delhi, Aug 6 - The government Thursday said it will release a subsidy of Rs.2,546 crore ($535 million) for the crisis-hit textile sector, which will directly reach the beneficiaries in three days.

'The fund will reach 12,540 beneficiaries through 121 financial institutional banks,' Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran told reporters, adding that amount will be released in three days.

'This is for the first time that such a large amount of subsidy has been released in a single tranche and the amount will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries in the record time of 72 hours (three working days),' the minister said.

In India's annual budget presented last month, the government allocated Rs.3,140 crore for the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for textile firms. The subsidy will be released from this fund.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had also raised the planned allocation for the textile sector to Rs.