Nitish to lead Central team to A.P.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 25. A Central team led by the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, will visit the flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh tomorrow (Saturday) for an on-the-spot assessment of the devastation caused by heavy rainfall and the deluge.

Mr. Kumar told the Lok Sabha today that he would discuss with the State Government the extent of assistance needed to cope with the situation and the Centre would then take appropriate measures. The Centre was monitoring the situation and would do everything possible to help the State Government tide over the crisis, he said.

He was responding to widespread concern expressed by members, cutting across party lines, over the grim situation in large parts of Andhra Pradesh. They wanted the Centre to announce a relief and rehabilitation package, pointing out that the floods had left a trail of misery and destruction. They stressed that the situation demanded immediate response.

The Telugu Desam leader, Mr, K.Yerran Naidu, who was the first to raise the issue, ``appealed'' to the Prime Minister to come to the House and announce an interim relief package. He said there had been a massive loss of life and property and both vehicular and rail traffic had been disrupted. Most parts of Hyderabad had been flooded and over a lakh people evacuated to safer places.

From the Congress(I), Ms. Renuka Chaudhury said the magnitude of the tragedy demanded that everyone should ``transcend political boundaries'' and raise their voice collectively to ensure relief for those affected by the floods. She said nearly seven lakh people in the twin city of Hyderabad were stranded and the Army should be deployed to move them to safer places.

She wanted the Government to cut through ``red tape'' and rush relief to the area. She also demanded a comprehensive rehabilitation package, and appealed to the MPs to contribute to the flood relief fund.

Her party colleague Mr. Janardhan Reddy criticised the eleventh Finance Commission for abolishing the provision of a central relief fund for natural calamities.

Mr. Somnath Chatterjee (CPI-M) said this was a national issue and deserved immediate and serious response.

TDP plea rejected

PTI reports:

Earlier, the Speaker, Mr. G.M.C. Balayogi, disallowed an adjournment motion moved by Telugu Desam Party for suspension of question hour to discuss the flood situation.

Soon after the House made an obituary reference to N.K. Shejwalkar, Mr. Yerran Naidu, along with party colleagues demanded the suspension of question hour as they had given a notice for an adjournment motion.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, said the Agriculture Minister would be making a statement on the subject immediately after question hour.

Dispatch of relief sought

In the Rajya Sabha, members from Andhra Pradesh strongly demanded that the Centre immediately send relief. A Central team should also visit the State to assess the damage to property and crops and sanction assistance, they said.

Raising the matter during zero hour, Mr. S.Ramachandra Reddy (TDP) said two lakh hectares of crops and more than 2600 houses had been damaged, over 400 roads and bridges washed away and many people killed.

He said the State Government was doing its best to meet the situation, but it was not enough. Therefore, Central assistance was needed immediately, he said.

Supporting him, Mr. K.M. Khan (Cong), said many people had been killed and more than 50,000 people shifted to relief camps in the State. He, however, alleged that the State Government was not doing enough and therefore the Centre should send relief to tide over the human tragedy.

Mr. C. Ramachandriah (TDP) said ten districts had been completely marooned and demanded that the Centre immediately announce Rs. 200 crore interim relief before the Central team visited the State to make a detailed assessment of the damage.

The Leader of the House and the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, responding to the demand, said the Government was ``already fully seized'' of the matter and had initiated relief measures.

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