State's precautions minimised cyclone losses: Congress

The Congress party on Tuesday claimed that the precautions taken by the State Government minimised the loss of human lives due to cyclone Nilam. 

Talking to media persons at Legislative Council's Media Point, Congress MLC Farooq Hussain said that the Met Department has predicted heavy rainfalls in three districts due to cyclone Nilam. However, he said that the government kept the District Administrations of all coastal districts on alert. He said several precautions were also taken including timely evacuation of people from low-lying areas, which minimised the loss of human lives. 

Accusing the opposition Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress party of leveling baseless allegations against the government, Farooq Hussain said all steps were taken to prevent damage due to rains and flooding. However, he said on November 3 alone, the affected districts received an aggregate rainfall equivalent to six months of State's average rainfall. He said that no one could prevent heavy rainfall and therefore, it was wrong on the part of opposition parties to blame the government for the same. 

The Congress MLC said that the government would extend all assistance to the affected people and would take up rehabilitation measures on war footing.