Andhra Pradesh   

Sonia visits flood-ravaged areas in Andhra Pradesh

Special Correspondent

Centre to release Rs. 200 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund

HYDERABAD: UPA chairperson and AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday took up a heli-hop tour of the flood-ravaged areas of Andhra Pradesh and consoled the affected persons at the relief camps.

Rounding off the day-long visit, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who accompanied her, announced the Centre's decision to release Rs. 200 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund for providing immediate relief to the people affected by floods.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Centre would consider extending assistance for the State Government's plan to complete the bunding of the entire 480-km stretch of Godavari river course to protect people from recurring floods. He was responding to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's request. Ms. Gandhi did not make any public statement during her tour.

In East Godavari district, she was informed about the impending rainfall in the catchment areas and a possible rise in the Godavari again in the next 48 hours. Ms. Gandhi's first stop was Amalapuram in E. Godavari district. She was visibly moved by the plight of the flood victims of Konaseema accommodated at a relief camp in a college. A few of them complained to her about lack of food at the camp. The Chief Minister, who showed her around a photo exhibition on the flood damage, explained to Ms. Gandhi that 250 villages were marooned in the Konaseema area alone.

Aerial survey

The AICC president then got into a helicopter for an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Khammam district. She got down at the temple town of Bhadrachalam and interacted with flood victims.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Sonia visits flood-ravaged areas in Andhra Pradesh
V.P. Singh for early decision on Telangana
Reaching out
Touch of devotion
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu