AP Government forms relief committee on Guntur chilli market fire

Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), May 4 : Andhra Pradesh Government today formed a Relief Committee to look immediate and permanent measures to be taken up following a major fire that broke out in a chilli market yard here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy announced this after visiting the Asia's largest market yard here.

The Relief Committee headed by the Marketing Commissioner A.R. Sukumar, will submit its recommendations by next week. The committee will estimate total losses incurred besides holding a public hearing over the incident.

The Chief Minister said, the Government is considering to set up a fire station at each major market yard in the state.

The Government is also considering to establish a new market yard in an area of 400 to 500 acres, as the present one in Guntur is very congested, he added.

Addressing the farmers and traders, Reddy said the State Government and the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee will bear the crores of rupees loss of red chillies that were reduced to ashes.

The Government would help the farmers by compensating the loss and would ensure that the peasants did not lose from their Investments in chilli crop, after the fire mishap.

Reddy complimented the district administration's effort in containing the fire. About 26 fire tenders were pressed into service, which took almost 20 hours to douse the flame this morning, which started at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Eighty percent of the chilli stock and almost the entire infrastructure in the market yard were destroyed in the blaze.

Preliminary investigation put the loss at Rs 85 crore, including a damage of Rs 55 crore to the infrastructure facilities.

State BJP President Bandaru Dattatreya also visited the chilli market yard and consoled the farmers.

ANI