Rs 1487 cr to protect people during calamities: Shinde

- World Bank fund to create infrastructure - Foundation stone laid for Rs. 8.2 cr bridge Eluru: The Union Home Minster, Sushil Kumar Shinde, said on Sunday that the Government of India launched a plan to implement solutions based on latest technology to minimize loss of life and properties in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha during natural calamities and allocated Rs. 1487 crores for that purpose. The programme, funded by the World Bank, also envisaged creating infrastructure facilities like roads, bridges in the coastal areas. Speaking at a public meeting after laying foundation stone for building a high-level bridge at Modi village in Kalla mandal of West Godavari district, Shinde said the bridge would be completed within one year at a cost of 8.20 crore. He said he had a firsthand knowledge of what effect the national calamities had on the people of the State when he was the Governor of the State earlier. He said in the first phase Rs. 720 crore were allocated to the State. Under the plan, steps would be taken to give real time information to the people of the coastal areas at the time of natural calamities. "The people of the affected areas would get information even before the Chief Minister and Prime Minister is informed. We will use latest state-of-the-art information system for that purpose," he said. Reacting to a request made by the Narasapuram MP Kanumuri Bapi Raju, the Union Home Minister promised to sanction Rs. 10 crore to build another bridge at Dongapindi. Marri Sashidhar Reddy, vice-president of National Disaster Management Authority, said the loss of life and property could be minimized by giving accurate and timely information to the people of the coastal areas about the movement of cyclones. The state Agriculture minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, local MLAs and MPs participated in the programme.