VIJAYAWADA: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Tuesday assured the Andhra Pradesh Government that the Centre would `substantially compensate' for the `very heavy damage' that it suffered on account of the recent rain induced by Ogni cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

He was speaking to newspersons at Gannavaram airport along with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at the end of his whirlwind aerial survey of the rain-hit areas in Krishna and Guntur districts.

Without committing himself to the quantum of assistance that the Centre could give for the damage, Mr. Patil said that a Central team would visit the State on Thursday to make a detailed assessment of the damage, and based on that an announcement would be made.

"I will not like to make an announcement here because I don't want to be accused of giving a small amount," Mr. Patil said in a lighter vein.

Indicating that he would like a bstantial amount to be provided to the State Government from the National Calamity Contingency Fund, Mr. Patil said that it would require the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to be apprised of the situation. He had already briefed UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi about the purpose of his visit, and she too expressed the desire to lend a helping hand to the State Government, he said. To cut short his schedule to catch up with a few important meetings in New Delhi, the Union Home Minister skipped aerial survey of the rain-hit areas in Prakasam district.

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