Rs 100-cr assistance for AP

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday announced an assistance of Rs 100 crore for relief and rehabilitation in the areas in Andhra Pradesh affected by Sunday's tsunami. 

The PM, who is on a tour of states devastated by the killer wave, made the announcement after interacting with affected families from Machilipatnam during his 75-minute stopover at Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada in the afternoon.

Dr Singh arrived in Vijayawada after a visit to Kerala, which has also been hit by the disaster.

He also went round an exhibition put up by the State Disaster Management Department on the devastation caused by the tsunami in four south coastal districts — Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna.

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He then held a review meeting with Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and other officials.

Reddy presented him a memorandum seeking cash assistance of Rs 317 crore and 19,500 tonnes of rice for relief and rehabilitation in the affected areas. 

The Prime Minister said he would convene a meeting of all political parties in Delhi in a couple of days to review the situation and discuss ways for mobilising resources for relief and rehabilitation works.

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Addressing a media conference before winding up his short visit, he said the Rs 100-crore grant for Andhra Pradesh is being made available from the Rs 500 crore released by the central government as advance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund.

While Kerala will also be given Rs 100 crore, the quantum of assistance for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry will be decided after his meetings with the chief ministers of the state and the Union territory, Singh said.

He said the Reserve Bank of India had instructed the banking sector to extend all possible assistance to families affected by the tragedy. 

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The PM said the Housing and Urban Development Corporation has earmarked Rs 10,000 crore for housing schemes, a part of which could be used for providing housing to those hit by the tsunami. In Tamil Nadu alone, 25,000 houses were damaged, forcing 300,000 people to take shelter in 383 relief camps, he said.