Jagan focuses on relief measures, braces for more cyclonic trouble

Amaravati, Nov 22:  With Andhra Pradesh brought to its knees by one of the heaviest rainfall and and flooding in recent years, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday instructed officials to be liberal and humane towards flood victims and ensure 25 kg of rice, 1 kg of daal, 1 kg of cooking oil, 1 kg of onion, 1 kg of potato and Rs 2,000 are provided to each affected family.

The official death toll due to floods has been pegged at 34 and 10 persons were reported missing till Monday.

Crops in eight lakh hectares have been damaged as per preliminary investigations while crop enumeration will be taken up once floods recede.

Taking stock of relief measures initiated by the state government through video conference on Monday, the chief minister said that every inundated household should receive compensation, and added that better facilities should be provided for those in relief camps.

State government officials have been instructed to provide compensation of Rs 95,100 and sanction a new house to those who lost their homes while Rs 5,200 is to be paid to those whose houses are partially damaged due to floods.

With the death of large number of livestock, measures are being taken to prevent the spread of diseases due to carcasses. The officials have also been told to focus on health of livestock and take up measures like vaccination on a war footing, an official said.

The state government has decided to start crop enumeration and to supply seeds at 80 percent subsidy and focus on ponds, other reservoir and embankments.

With yet another low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, said to be heading south of Tamil Nadu, CM Reddy has directed the officials to be on high alert and be prepared to face more tough situations.