VIJAYAWADA: The State government has sought Rs 3,711 crore in aid to repair the damages caused by Cyclone Michaung. AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director BR Ambedkar, in an interim report submitted to the Inter-Ministerial Central Team, stated that the Roads and Buildings and Agriculture departments had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 2,641 crore and Rs 703 crore respectively.
The Central team, which came to the State for field-level inspection to estimate the losses due to the cyclone, met APSDMA Special Chief Secretary G Sai Prasad, Managing Director Ambedkar, Commissioners (Agriculture) Ch Harikiran and Sridhar (Horticulture) on Wednesday. Informing that the cyclone caused unprecedented damage in 19 districts of the State, Sai Prasad urged the Central team to be generous in extending aid to the State.
The five-member Central team, led by National Institute of Disaster Management Executive Director Rajendra Ratnoo, said they would visit four districts that were adversely affected by the cyclone on Wednesday and Thursday.“We will submit our report to the Centre at the earliest to facilitate the extension of maximum possible aid to the State,” he said.
As part of the field visit, the Central team inspected Rythu Bharosa Kendra at Bank Colony in Kankipadu of Krishna district and went through the photo display and PowerPoint presentation on crop loss. Later, the team inspected the damaged paddy crop in the field of Sambasiva Rao at Davuluru. It also visited the damaged crops in Pamarru and Gudivada mandals and interacted with the affected farmers.
Speaking to media persons, Rajendra Ratnoo said the State government had already taken up the enumeration of crop loss. “After getting the report, our team will submit a detailed report to the Centre, and recommend the extension of aid to the farmers for the crop loss incurred by them,” he added.