SRIKAKULAM: Distributing cheques of cash compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent floods at a meeting at the Mandal Development Office here on Friday, Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasada Rao said that proposals to strengthen the embankments of Vamsadhara and Nagavali were sent to the Centre and execution of works would begin soon. This would solve the problem of floods, the Minister said.

The Minister also inaugurated a separate unit set up to implement the Relief and Rehabilitation package expeditiously and toured the flood-affected areas in Palakonda division.

Plea to Minister

At Hiramandalam, the evacuees made a representation to the Minister to allow them to carry on cultivation this season on the lands being acquired by officials for the Vamsadhara project. By the time the works begin, the kharif season would be over, farmers contended. The Minister asked officials to do the needful and help evacuees. Some fishermen had pointed out that they would be robbed of their livelihood because all fish tanks would get submerged in the reservoir. Reacting to the representations, the Minister said that no amount of compensation could fully make good the loss of farmers who would lose their lands which they had been cultivating for the last several decades.

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