CM announces Rs 5 cr aid to flood-hit Amravati district

Nagpur, July 11 (UNI) Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today announced an immediate aid of Rs five crore for relief work in the flood-hit Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Mr Deshmukh said the amount would be released through the District Collector for urgent works, like repair of roads and cleaning of wells, according to an official press release.

Mr Deshmukh also announced an assistance of Rs 10,000 per hectare to farmers whose land had been damaged in the floods caused by the recent spell of heavy rains in the district.

Besides, assistance would be given to hawkers, small shopkeepers and petty traders who had suffered damage, from rural as well as urban areas, he said.

Farmers whose crops had been damaged in the downpour would be given free seeds for the second round of sowing, he added.

Amravati Divisional Commissioner S K Goyal said the floods had affected 41,500 people in the district, and an amount of Rs 3.16 crore had been distributed to them so far as aid.

In addition, Rs 32 lakh had been given to the kin of those killed in the downpour, he said.

Earlier, Mr Deshmukh visited some flood-hit areas in the district and presided over a meeting of the officials to review the relief work, the release added.

There was heavy loss of life and property in Amravati district during two spells of heavy rains over the past two weekends.

UNI