Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah and his 34 cabinet colleagues will donate Rs 50,000 each, totalling to Rs 17.5 lakh, to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund towards flood relief and rehabilitation work in the state.
“This was an unprecedented flood which caused massive destruction in five districts of the state. Hence, to support the government’s efforts in rehabilitating flood victims, all ministers decided to donate Rs 50,000 each,” State Information Minister J Geeta Reddy told the press after a Cabinet meeting here on Thursday.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Mr. Rosaiah, discussed at length the devastation caused by floods and the relief and rehabilitation work taken up by the government.
The Cabinet thanked all donors - individuals and corporates - who contributed to the CMRF.
In a resolution adopted at the meeting, the Cabinet thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for conducting an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts and announcing a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore as a first installment.
The Cabinet also mourned the death of 90 people in the floods and expressed sympathy to the bereaved families.
Ms. Reddy, however, said that there was no clarity yet on whether the Rs 1,000 crore announced by the Prime Minister was a grant or loan. “Hopefully, let’s think it is a grant,” she said.
