PM doubles relief to Rs 400 crore to flood-hit AP

Hyderabad, Aug 11: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today doubled the Central aid to Andhra Pradesh and announced an immediate assistance of Rs 400 crore for the flood-hit state.

The Prime Minister's announcement of an additional Rs 200 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) came after he made an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas in the Godavari and Penganga Basins in Nizamabad District.

Two days ago, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who accompanied UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on an aerial survey of worst-hit East and West Godavari and Khammam Districts, announced an immediate assistance of Rs 200 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund.

With Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy putting the initial estimate of the losses at Rs 1,014 crore, Dr Singh, who was accompanied by Mr Patil, also the Chairman of the National Calamity Relief Committee, promised all support from the Centre to cope with the situation.

''We will send a Central team shortly to assess the damage and provide further assistance,'' he assured Dr Reddy. Many cities and towns and over 5000 villages have been flooded and lakhs of families have lost their homes and belongings, the Prime Minister said.

As the state government put the death toll at over 110, Dr Singh said Rs one lakh would be provided from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to the families of each of the deceased.

The state government had already announced Rs 50,000 under the ''Apathbandu'' Scheme for the next of kin of those killed in floods in association with the National Insurance Company.

Dr Singh said, ''UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Union Home Minister visited the coastal regions two days ago. I had a chance to see some of the damages today. ''River Godavari had been flowing at unprecedented levels, causing extensive flooding and damage in the rice bowl of the state.'' As the Chief Minister sought the Centre's help for strengthening the bunds of major rivers, including Godavari and Krishna, at a cost of Rs 1000 crore, the Prime Minister said ''Andhra Pradesh is the granary of South India.'' ''The floods, which I am told are the second highest in history, should not not affect the productive capacity of its fertile lands.

We will work jointly with the state government to quickly restore the canal and irrigatIon system,'' Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister noted the floods caused extensive damage not only in East and West Godavari Districts, but also in North Coastal Andhra, including Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.

He lauded the efforts of the state government as also the gallant armed forces in reaching to the people in distress.

The Chief Minister thanked the Centre for all its support and making available Army helicopters and Naval boats within hours of the state's request, without which the Andhra Pradesh would have been 'crippled.'

UNI

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