HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday criticised the State Government for failing to get the required Central assistance for taking up relief work in the flood-affected districts.

At a press conference here, after a weeklong tour of the districts, he said the assistance was nothing compared to the large-scale damage suffered by the State. Crops spread over 20 lakh acres were damaged. A number of lives and properties were lost. Yet the State Government could not convince the Centre.

He said the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the affected areas had at best been only `ornamental', serving no purpose at all. The State could not get a fair share of assistance. Dr. Singh should have visited some flood-hit areas and interacted with people.

`Oblivious to sufferings'

Mr. Naidu said the Chief Minister, Ministers and ruling party MLAs remained oblivious to the sufferings of the flood victims. They all tried to downplay the damage. The Agriculture Minister had gone to the extent of saying there was no crop damage and left for Australia. Two ruling party MLAs, acted in a haughty manner, one asking the police to lathicharge flood victims and the other hurling abuses at them. Flood relief itself was politicised extending it to some and leaving out some others.

The TDP president wanted rescheduling of crop loans and waiver of interest and sanction of fresh loans, apart from total subsidy on fresh seed. He sought exemption to students from paying school and college fee in the current academic year.

Ex gratia sought

Mr. Naidu sought an ex gratia of Rs. 3 lakhs each to families of those killed in floods and Rs. 5 lakhs for those who died saving others. He sought a special package for artisans and weavers who lost their means of livelihood.

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