Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy has said that pucca houses would be granted to the families whose houses have been partially or completely damaged in the recent rains in the forthcoming Rachhabanda mass contact programme which will begin in the first week of November.
The Minister asked the District Collector to enlist the number of damaged houses in the district and include them in the beneficiary list in mass contact programme in which 13 lakh houses would be sanctioned throughout the State.
Families belonging to SC community would be provided Rs.1 lakh, those belonging to ST community Rs.1.5 lakh and others Rs.70,000. In Guntur district, the official count of partially/damaged houses is 1,533.
The Minister, along with three other Ministers Kasu Krishna Reddy, T.G Venkatesh, D.M. Vara Prasada Rao and MLA Gade Venkat Reddy, visited the flood ravaged areas in Bapatla, Chilakaluripet and Narasaraopet mandals, in the first visit after the heavy rains created havoc in the coastal areas of the State. The convoy of the Ministers was forced to stop at many places by farmers who have suffered one of the worst losses in recent years.
Earlier, women at several colonies in Bapatla urged the Minister to grant new houses. The team of Ministers waded through knee deep waters to see thatched houses inundated in ST Colony at Andhra Kesari Colony in the town.
Speaking to reporters in Bapatla, the Minister said that six persons have died in the rains.
The Government would provide Rs.2 lakh to each bereaved family.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said the revenue and agricultural teams would begin enumeration of damaged crops within two days and the list would be displayed in the respective villages.
Booster dose of pesticide
The Revenue Minister advised the farmers to give a booster dose of pesticide and a dose of fertilizer to damaged crops, particularly chilli, to save the standing crop.
The total crop area affected in Guntur district is 1,34,189 hectares, including 88,150 hectares of cotton, causing an estimated loss of Rs.38.86 crore.
Horticultural crops in 13, 606 hectares, including 11,842 hectares of chilli, have been inundated.
District Collector S. Suresh Kumar, Joint Collector Vivek Yadav accompanied the Ministers.