CM conducts aerial survey of rain-hit districts

Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Thursday conducted aerial survey in East and West Godavari districts and Krishna district to assess the damage caused to the agriculture sector due to the incessant rains.

Later, he reviewed the situation with the three district collectors at Gannavaram near Vijayawada. He instructed the officials to pay Rs 3,000 to weavers who have lost their wool in the floods and Rs 4,500 towards input subsidy for farmers whose crops have been damaged.

Rosaiah said he would speak to the Prime Minister seeking relaxation of paddy purchase norms so that even discoloured paddy was accepted. He would also talk to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in this regard, he said adding crop insurance would be extended to farmers and tenants with village as a unit.

District collectors have been asked to provide 20 kg rice and 5 litre kerosene to those whose houses were marooned in the flood water.

Earlier, an inter-ministerial central team, which toured the areas that were affected due to heavy rains from June to September, called on the chief minister at his camp office in the morning.

The team led RR Jha, joint secretary, ministry of home affairs, explained to the chief minister the damages caused in these areas.

The chief minister told the central team that the state had been battered by both southwest and northeast monsoons. The crop damages due to ‘Laila’ in the state had been near colossal, he said.

“In fact, I have requested the Prime Minister to continue your tour to study the damages in the last four days in the districts of East and West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Krishna and Nellore,” the chief minister informed the team.

Rosaiah also told the central team that Andhra Pradesh was expecting bumper crop this year due to good monsoon but the recent rains had shattered the hopes and hence the state needed a special central assistance.

The chief minister asked state officials to give a report on the damages —work-wise and village-wise, details of relief required and taken up, affected localities and others — for sanctioning of immediate central relief, according to a release.