Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake an aerial survey of flood-hit Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka from Friday.
Dr. Singh is scheduled to arrive at Vijayawada, from where he will head for the aerial survey. He will stay in Hyderabad and preside over a comprehensive review meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah.
Ahead of the visit, Karnataka has demanded an interim relief of Rs. 10,000 crore from the Centre for relief and restoration of the damaged infrastructure. The Prime Minister will undertake an aerial survey of Karnataka on Saturday and hold a review meeting with Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at Raichur.
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Karnataka Home Minister V.S. Acharya met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and demanded that the disaster be declared as a “national calamity” as it was the “worst of its kind” in years.
The Prime Minister had earlier announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs.1 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the floods.