Flood relief: Naidu upset with central govt over 'raw deal'

HYDERABAD: The NDA government has once again dashed the hopes of AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on flood relief assistance.
Generously reacting to Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's request for financial help, the NDA government has sanctioned Rs 939 crore o take up flood relief measures. But, t has kept pending Naidu's request or immediate help.
The AP government has sought an interim central assistance of Rs 1,000 crore after torrential rains triggered by a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal caused heavy damage to life and property in at least four districts.Naidu has put the initial loss at Rs 3,000 crore.
Miffed over the `ill treatment' by he Centre, Naidu sent his emissaries o Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey his feelings. During the recent NDA meeting, Union minister YS Chowdary briefed Modi, who in turn asked the Union finance ministry to look into the issue. The Union finance ministry on Wednesday informed AP government about the release of Rs 700 crore.
But to the utter dismay of AP government, the amount sanctioned by the Centre was actually announced long ago. Of the Rs 700 crore released, Rs 350 crore came under the backward district development package announced in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. The remaining Rs 350 crore was meant for Polavaram project.
“The AP government spent over Rs 2,400 crore for Polavaram project and the Centre was requested to reimburse it. But we have received only Rs 350 crore,“ PV Ramesh, AP principal finance secretary , told TOI.
Even the backward district package was not to the expectations of the AP government. The state government has asked for Rs 200 crore for each district, identified as backward.But the NDA government sanctioned only Rs 50 crore per district.
Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts will benefit under the package. The AP government argues that this meagre amount would not make any difference to these backward districts.
In fact, both Jayalalithaa and Naidu wrote to the Centre the same day requesting urgent financial help.While TN has been sanctioned Rs 939 crore, AP's case was kept pending.