Rajya Sabha: Financial Assistance For AP Flood Relief Only After Central Team Submits Report

NEW DELHI| Rajya Sabha: Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai on Wednesday that additional financial assistance would be considered only after the central team submits its report on the heavy rains and floods which lashed the Rayalaseema region and Nellore districts last month in the State of Andhra Pradesh. This was in reply to a question by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha during the Parliament Winter sessions.

He said that the Andhra Pradesh government had submitted that due to the heavy rains and floods 25 people were killed and caused extensive damage to roads, electricity connectivity, and property. The Central government on November 23^rd  had de up a team comprising of senior officials from various ministries to assess the damage caused by heavy rains. The team visited the areas affected from November 26 to 29 and assessed the extent of the damage. The minister said the team would look into the possibility of providing additional financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh as per the rules after the central team submitted a final report on it.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) is available to assist the public in the event of natural disasters, he said. The minister said the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) would provide additional financial assistance to the State if the central team reports that it was a major disaster. He clarified that neither the SDRF nor the NDRF had the authority to declare any disaster a national disaster.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha YSRCP Rajampeta (YSR Kadapa) MP PV Mithun Reddy, on Wednesday informed that the Kadapa and Chittoor districts were badly affected by the floods. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the Center to provide assistance to the flood-hit areas, Mithun Reddy recalled. The Central government has already sent two teams to assess the flood damage and therefore, Mithun Reddy urged the Central Government to provide financial assistance at the earliest.

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