Speed up flood relief works: CM

Hyderabad,Oct 22: The Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Thursday  directed the senior officials of the various departments to speed up and complete all the flood relief works on a war footing.He asked them to bring back normalcy in the flood-affected areas. While appreciating the work done so far, the Chief Minister said there are still some areas where relief works are slow and affected people need more attention.He reviewed the flood relief works with ministers and senior officials of all the departments concerned at Secretariat today.The Chief Minister emphasised the need to bring back normalcy in all the affected areas and to complete the disbursement of gratuitous relief where- ever they are pending immediately.He directed that all complaints should be enquired by a senior official at District level and action taken immediately.

He has also instructed that no genuine case should be excluded while disbursing the relief. District Collectors have been instructed to immediately furnish proposals for claiming ex-gratia payable to the kin of the diseased from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.The Housing Department has requested for Rs10 crores for constructing temporary shelters to 22,000 families and the Chief Minister immediately sanctioned the amount.  The Department of Roads and Buildings, Panchayatraj and Municipal Administration will be provided with the second installment funds for taking up immediate restoration of damaged infrastructures and the total amount sanctioned is Rs.185 crores. The Animal Husbandry Department will be provided with Rs.7.28 crores towards ex-gratia payable for loss of cattle/animals.The Chief Minister directed the Principal Secretaries/Secretaries to monitor all the relief works on a priority. He asked the Secretary, Housing to construct toilet facilities wherever the temporary shelters are being constructed. It was also decided to avail the services of NGOs for taking up Housing construction for the people in the devastated areas and the MD, State Housing Corporation has been directed to specifically coordinate this.

It has also been decided to depute Special Officers along with the Central teams to flood-affected districts for effective appraisal and coordination.The Central team on floods is likely to visit the affected areas from the 26thof this month for four days.The Commissioner, Civil Supplies, has informed that free rations were given in the affected areas this month. He said the required stocks of rice, Kerosene, Palm Oil, dal and sugar have been kept ready for free distribution in all the affected areas for the month of November. The Principal Secretary, Panchayatraj, informed that out of 1633 damaged roads, bridges, culverts etc., 1098 works have been restored.