REMEMBERING HEROES: Students in the costumes of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Alluri Sitarama Raju and others during the Independence Day celebrations in Eluru on Tuesday.

ELURU: Minister for Marketing B. Satyanarayana on Tuesday said that the Government was contemplating modernising the Godavari riverbunds as a measure to prevent recurrence of floods that had been causing extensive damage in the delta.

Speaking at the Independence Day celebrations here, the Minister said that the Government was mobilising Rs. 650 crores from different sources for the modernisation project which intended to strengthen riverbunds in East and West Godavari and Khammam districts up to a stretch of 535 km.

Compensation hiked

The Government hiked the compensation to be paid for crop loss during floods up to Rs. 1,875 per hectare. Compensation was also hiked for partially damaged house to Rs. 1,200 and for fully damaged one to Rs. 2,000.

The Minister informed that the official machinery was preparing ground for illumination of weaker section colonies in the district under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Project. The district received Rs. 33 crores for the purpose, he added.

Mr. Satyanarayana said that efforts were under way for establishing 50 small and 11 major and medium industries in the district with an investment of Rs. 250 crores in the current financial year.

It was planned to finance Rs. 200 crores to 3,200 self-help groups (SHGs) in collaboration with bankers during the current year.

The Minister received the customary guard of honour from the Armed forces on the occasion. A slew of cultural items presented by students of various schools enthralled the audience.

The parade by Goldy and Kerce, the trained sniffer dogs of the Police Department, turned out to be the highlight of the celebrations.

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