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Rain, floods toll 69

Staff Correspondent

Chief Minister Chauhan to meet Manmohan on Friday, to seek Rs. 650 crores

BHOPAL: Continuous rain and floods have claimed 69 lives and caused extensive damage to property and crops across 18 Madhya Pradesh districts. The preliminary estimate of loss to property is over Rs. 650 crores. Sharing this assessment with media persons at his residence here on Wednesday evening, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that 38,595 persons had sought shelter in 79 relief camps so far. Thirteen 13 persons have been reported missing and 30,719 houses have been damaged. The approximate loss of cattle was estimated at 1,375. Crops valued at over Rs. 200 crores were estimated to have been destroyed and private houses valued at Rs. 200 crores damaged. The value of PWD roads, culverts and property owned by different Government departments that have been damaged by rains had been assessed at Rs. 250 crores, he added. The Chief Minister said the Government was focusing its efforts on immediate relief efforts as well as long-term measures. For houses damaged by rain, the Chief Minister announced the decision to raise the relief compensation from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 per family. Each flood-affected family would also be given 50 kg of grains and five litres of kerosene. For totally damaged houses, the Government would be giving Rs. 18,000 per house and Rs. 20,000 for houses owned by the landless.

The Chief Minister said the State Government was seeking an assistance of Rs. 650 crores from the Centre for flood relief. He would be seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister on Friday to seek Central assistance and expressed the hope that Madhya Pradesh would get the same treatment as Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

With the Parvati river in spate, Sodha village in Guna district was still marooned on Wednesday evening, he said, adding that a helicopter had been used and 179 villagers evacuated. The Chief Minister said he had himself gone there on Wednesday to assess the situation.

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Rain, floods toll 69

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