FCI to purchase discoloured paddy

Kakinada, AP, Nov 18 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Pilli Subhas Chandra Bose today said the Government was taking all steps to purchase paddy discoloured due to cyclonic rains, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Talking to mediapersons here after inspecting the Uppada-Kakinada beach road that was battered by tidal waves and badly damaged during the recent 'khai muk' cyclone, he said the losses to the standing crops and property were being assesed and adequate compensation would be provided to the cyclone-affected people.

He said, however, according to preliminary estimates standing paddy crop in about 12,500 hectares was affected while 600 houses were damaged either partially or totally, the loss being Rs 11.86 crore.

Three fishing boats and 29 fishing nets were also damaged and efforts were being made to provide relief to all the cyclone-affected people within three days, he added.

He said at the initiative of Union Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju, a Rs 12 Crore geo-tube technology project would be launched near Uppada village to save the exisiting beach road. This would protect the road permanently from the onslaughts of the tidal waves.

East Godavari District Collector Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, who accompanyied the Minister during the tour in cyclone-affected areas, said fifteen acres of land was identified on the outskirts of Uppada village to construct houses and rehabilitate 500 families, whose houses were affected by sea erosion.

UNI XC AKM 1840