Naidu seeks more aid for flood victims

Hyderabad, Oct 10 :

 The Opposition and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday thanked the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, for announcing Rs 1,000 crores as advance Central assistance for relief and rehabilitation works in Andhra Pradesh. Talking to media persons here, the Opposition leader said as the loss suffered by the state due to floods is enormous, the Prime Minister should have announced relief more generously for taking rehabilitation and restoration works. As the state had sent an appeal for Rs 12,225 crores towards the assistance to help the people in distress, he appealed to the Prime Minister, who is conducting an aerial survey on Friday and Saturday, to consider the plea for more funds. He also demanded the PM to declare the floods as ‘national calamity’.

He said the officials should have guided the Prime Minister in conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Kurnool on first priority as the district suffered major damage due to Tungabhadra and Handri river floods. He blamed the officials for lackadaisical approach in dealing with rescue and relief operations in flood affected areas. Naidu also criticized the Ministers for not taking relief operations in a proper way and accused them of paying lip sympathy for flood victims. “Instead of focusing on pressing issues, they are concentrating on other irrelevant matters,” he charged