Centre announces Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to flood victims: Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy said that the Centre will provide an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) to the kin of those who have lost their lives in the torrential rains in the State.

Addressing media on from his official residence at Delhi on Wednesday, he appealed the people to take necessary precautions and added that a five-member team headed by Joint Secretary Praveen Vasista of Union Home Ministry will visit Hyderabad to assess the loss caused during the three-day torrential rains in Telangana.

The Minister said that under the National Disaster Management of 2015, the Centre will pay an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who have lost their lives in rains. Similarly, those lost their limbs will be paid Rs 2 lakh, injured Rs 12,700 and Rs 2,800 towards damage caused to the household items.

He said that the Centre will announce its assistance after the Central team submits its report on the crop loss caused due to the rains.

The State government can spend from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to provide relief to the rain-affected people in the State which will be reimbursed by the Centre, he added.

He advised the Telangana Ministers to focus on providing the much-needed relief to the people than criticising the Centre for not providing assistance to the State.

The Centre has decided to send a team during the current situation to assess the damage caused in Telangana, Kishan Reddy said.

The Union Minister said that no work has been done after the formation of the Musi Corporation. The State government should pay some serious attention as the tanks, water bodies and Musi riverfront are being encroached upon as it had happened during the earlier regimes. Extending the Dasara wishes to the people of the State, Kishan Reddy asked the BJP leaders and workers to be in the forefront and join the government relief teams in assisting people.