AP wants Centre to depute team to assess damage caused by rain

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard, Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here today.

A memorandum would be sent to the Centre after estimating the damage, he said.

He was speaking after a high-level review meeting held by the Chief Minister with ministers and senior officials.

The toll in rain-related incidents has mounted to 24 and crops in 5.25 lakh hectares and horticulture crops in over 24,000 acres were affected.

The Chief Minister, state Congress president and Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana and ministers for agriculture and civil supplies would undertake an aerial survey and field visits tomorrow in Krishna, Khammam, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari districts to interact with victims and to get first hand information.

Meanwhile, Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu said an assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh would be given to the kin of the deceased.

The Chief Minister would also request the Centre to relax the norms for purchase of cotton affected by rains, he said. MORE