Visakhapatnam:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced Rs 1000 crore as interim relief for the cyclone-hit Andhra Pradesh as he undertook a survey of the worst-affected city. He also announced Rs 2 lakh for the family of those killed and Rs 50000 for those injured in the tragedy caused by cyclone Hudhud.
Central government officials from various ministries would soon tour the region to assess damage and start work to restore normalcy, Modi told reporters.
He said restoring the basic needs of life like water and electricity were the government’s immediate priorities.
“The exact damage will be assessed in due course time. Meanwhile, I am announced Rs 1000 crore as an interim relief,” he said. “I was jumping with joy until very recently over making Vizag a smart city and now this crisis has hit us… We will soon come out of it. Government in its full strength is standing with the people,” he said. He said farmers have suffered extensive damage and a detailed survey will evaluate their losses and the government will act accordingly.
Hailing the exact forecast about the cylone made by the Met Department, the Prime Minister said the “perfect” use of technology prepared both Union as well as state governments to deal with the cyclone as from its timing to velocity and direction, all details were predicted accurately in advance. “In a way, technology has played an important tole in dealing with the crisis,” he said. The natural disaster, Modi said, also saw both the Centre and the state government working “shoulder to shoulder” and it showed however “grave” a problem they can deal with it successfully together.
Compensation for each damaged kutcha house has been fixed at Rs 25,000, it said. Paddy, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, chilli, onion, flowers, vegetables, papaya and watermelon crops that suffered damages in the calamity would get relief at the rate of Rs 15,000 per hectare, while Rs 12,500 per hectare will be paid to damaged maize crop.
The Commissioner said mango, citrus, cashewnut, guava and pomegranate orchards would be compensated at the rate of Rs 20,000 per hectare. A compensation of Rs 1,000 would be paid for each damaged coconut tree. The Government would pay a compensation of Rs 20,000 for each milch cattle killed in the cyclone, while for the animals like camel, horse and bullock the amount would be Rs 15,000 each. (PTI)
