Rs 200 cr sought for Surat flood relief

GANDHINAGAR, Sept 30: The Government has sought an aid of Rs 200 crore from the Centre in view of the extensive damage to private and public properties and to rehabilitate the Surat flood victims.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said he had written to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the fund to meet the situation arising out of the flood. In his letter, Patel says a preliminary assessment by the government has put the damage at Rs 300 crore, with nearly 7.50 lakh people having been affected in Surat city and eight talukas in the district. He said a memorandum containing the details of the damages would be prepared after the comprehensive survey by various departments was completed and sent to the Centre for more assistance. The government has already provided Rs 10 crore to the affected to purchase household articles, and Rs 1 lakh each in compensation to the kith and kin of the 29 persons killed.

Patel said that of the Rs 600 crore demanded by the State in view of the damage caused by the Kandla cyclone, the Centre had provided Rs 212 crore till now, besides Rs 56 crore from National Calamity Relief Fund as against its share of Rs 116 crore from NCRF. “I will visit Delhi on October 13 for a meeting with Planning Commission vice-chairman Jaswant Singh to discuss the State annual plan and request him and Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha to release more fund to meet the siutation arising out of the Kandla cyclone”, Patel said.

He said industries had suffered an estimated loss of Rs 100 crore, while the damage to agriculture in 153 villages in the district was Rs 51 crore; to Surat Municipal Corporation (Rs 30 crore), trade and business estbalishments (Rs 21 crore), Roads and Buildings Department (Rs 20.61 crore), houses and hutments (Rs 13 crore) and Surat Electricity Company and GEB (Rs 6 crore).