The Centre today opened its purse strings to provide Rs 821.88 crore for relief and rehabilitation of tsunami survivors in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.It sanctioned an additional Rs 96.33 crore for the expeditious construction of 10,100 intermediate shelters before the rains hit the islands in May.‘‘The units would be completed in all respects and handed over by April 15,’’ said the release. The Rs 821.88-crore package, approved by the Cabinet, includes an immediate relief and response aid of Rs 313.19 crore, Rs 215.65 crore for intermediate housing and relief employment generation and a special Rs 239.54 crore for revival of agriculture.It also includes Rs 29.89 crore for the immediate restoration of damaged infrastructure, Rs 15.01 crore for fisheries and a special package of Rs 8.60 crore for the rehabilitation of orphans, widows, disabled and unmarried girls.The relief assistance covers ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh each for relatives of missing persons, it said. For the fishermen, the package provides Rs 15.01 crore for the construction of cold storage facilities and for funding the 1,401 boats. However, the subsidy on replacing country boats and fishing nets would be limited to Rs 65,000.The government would also provide 50 to 60 per cent subsidy for replacing or revamping motor boats and nets up to unit cost of Rs 1.5 lakh. The balance would be available as soft loan at 7 per cent interest rate.
