A.P. to get Rs. 148 cr. aid

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 3. The Centre will provide about Rs. 148 crores to Andhra Pradesh as immediate assistance to help tide over the damage caused by the recent floods.

While it decided to release about Rs. 70 crores from the funds available with the Surface Transport Ministry for immediate upgradation of State highways, the balance of around Rs. 78 crores would be released after the State Government opened a separate account for State Calamity Relief Fund as directed by the Supreme Court.

The decision was taken here last evening at a meeting of the committee of secretaries chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Prabhat Kumar. The Centre has already released Rs. 100 crores as ways and means advance.

The committee members noted that a sum of Rs. 485 crores was available under different programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development for Andhra Pradesh which could be utilised by the State Government to upgrade the rural infrastructure which has been badly affected. The committee asked HUDCO to prepare a scheme of loans for repair of 30,000 houses damaged by floods.

The committee asked the Ministry of Urban Development to immediately formulate a special scheme for undertaking extensive repairs and restructuring required in the drainage and sewage system in the urban areas.

- PTI

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