AP CM enhances ex gratia by Rs one lakh

Hyderabad, Aug 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today announced enhancement of ex gratia by Rs one lakh to the families of the deceased in the recent flood havoc, which claimed 131 lives and damaged property worth Rs 3,616 crore.

''Apart from Rs one lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Rs 50,000 under the Apadbandhu scheme, the families of the deceased will now be paid another Rs one lakh,'' Dr Reddy, amid thumping of desks by ruling party members, informed the State Assembly, intervening in the debate on floods, which witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling and opposition party members.

Earlier, intervening in the debate, Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy announced provision of inputs' subsidy and enhancement of seeds' subsidy to 50 per cent for farmers to raise short duration crops in the over five lakh hectares affected in floods.

Denying the TDP's charge that the Congress government was 'directionless,' the Chief Minister said it was because of the foresight of the irrigation department that flood damage was averted in the Krishna Delta region by ensuring that the discharge did not exceed 5.49 lakh.

After a natural calamity of this magnitude, epidemics normally breakout, but the Medical and Health department had organised camps and prevented outbreak of epidemics, winning appreciation from a Central team of health officials, he added.

To prevent recurrence of floods, the state Government would start work on strengthening the bunds of major rivers, including Godavari, Vamsadara and Nagavalli at a cost of Rs 1000 crore, by coming October and complete it next year, he asserted, adding, had the previous TDP Government done this, the present situation would not have occurred.

Lauding the administrative machinery for working strenously to provide relief to the affected people, Dr Reddy said the East Godavari District Collector, who was supervising the arrangements, was forcibly taken away from the place. As pointed by Animal Husbandary Minister G Surya Rao, had he stayed in that place for some more time, he would have been washed away.

Coming to the support of a party MLA in East Godavari district, he referred to 'criminal antecedents' of the local TDP leader, who cornered the Congress legislator overseeing relief operations.

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