Loan waiver sought to the cyclone-hit

19 Oct, 2013 19:43 IST

Smt. Y , MLA

Hon. President

Hyderabad

October 19, 2013

Sri Manmohan Singh jee,

Hon’ble Prime Minister

Government of

 

Respected Sir,

Relief operations to the farmers, fishermen and others badly affected due to the cyclone (Phailin)  in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh—Regd/-

The recent Phailin Cyclone has left a trail of destruction and devastation in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh affecting a multitude of people and snatching away their livelihood as they remain castaway from their routine.

It is unfortunate that no aerial survey was done nor any relief work was carried out by the state government till now to match the magnitude of damage done by the killer cyclone which has thrown life out of gear in Srikakulam district and people are living in utter despair.

I had extensively toured the affected areas in Kanchili, Kaviti and Sompet mandals of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and had seen the plight of people firsthand. Farmers had lost their crop, fishermen lost boats, nets and many people lost their means of livelihood. The locals said that they had not received any aid from the government.

The State Government has totally failed in giving assurance to the affected people as paddy crops were washed away, cashew nut groves were badly affected and coconut trees fell causing immense loss to farmers. Fishermen were badly hit as their boats and fishing nets were either damaged or washed away. Hence we request you to direct the state government to address the issue and take up the measures required. We also request the central government to send teams to assess the damage caused by cyclone and immediately release funds for reconstruction and relief activities.

 We demand that immediate aid should be provided to all affected people of the region without any further delay.

  1. Compensation of Rs. 10,000 should be paid per acre for the standing crops destroyed in cyclone as per Huda Committee recommendations.
  2.  All loans taken by farmers in the affected should be waived by the Central Government. Compensation should be paid to coconut farmers not on the count per tree but on the basis of acre as a unit.
  3.  Compensation should be paid to farmers of cashew and other horticulture crops.
  4. Crop compensation scheme should also be applicable to all farmlands irrespective of the stage of agricultural operation.
  5.  Fishermen did not get any relief till date. They should get adequate compensation and immediate relief starting from rice and groceries.
  6.  Compensation should be given to all fishermen whose boats were washed away or damaged.
  7.  Alternative employment opportunities should be shown to those who lost their livelihood.
  8. The affected areas are still groping in darkness; power supply should be restored immediately.
  9.   Drinking water has been scarce and it should be provided forthwith.

 We request that the Government act immediately in providing relief to the people who are in distress in the district which was battered by the cyclone.

 Thanking you