Compensation for flood victims will be paid before September 17, says Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inspecting a flood-hit area, in Eluru district on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on September 11 (Wednesday) that the damage caused by the floods in the State would be calculated in a transparent manner and with accountability, and that the farmers would be duly compensated for their losses.

Justice would be done to each one of those affected by the calamity, Mr. Naidu asserted while addressing the flood victims here at Sir C.R. Reddy Degree College after conducting an aerial survey of affected areas in Eluru district and holding a review meeting on the prevailing situation related to Kolleru Lake, Upputeru and Tammileru.

Mr. Naidu said he personally saw the misery caused by the floods and that he would do all that was possible to help the people recover from the impact of the floods.

Mr. Naidu pointed out that the TDP Government had paid ₹16,000 as ex gratia per hectare for crop loss before 2019, whereas the previous YSRCP government increased it by a paltry ₹1,000 per hectare.

This time, the ex gratia would be increased to ₹25,000 per hectare. Since 70% of the cultivators were tenant farmers, input subsidy would be directly credited to their bank accounts, he said, adding that compensation would be paid to all the flood victims before September 17.

Blames YSRCP

Stating that plans were being made to deal with such calamities in the future, Mr. Naidu insisted that the huge damage caused by the unprecedented floods was due to the blunders committed by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Government.

Mr. Naidu said the Polavaram project was a boon to the State and that he could mobilise ₹12,000 crore from the Centre for its construction, which would be resumed soon. He also announced the sanction of ₹15 crore for building a bridge near the causeway at Sanivarapupeta in Eluru.

Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu (Water Resources) and Kolusu Parthasarathy (Information & Public Relations and Housing), Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar, MLAs Badeti Radha Krishnaiah, Kamineni Srinivas, Chintamaneni Prabhakar, K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju and P. Dharma Raju were among those present.