Andhra Bank to coordinate relief work

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to provide immediate cash assistance for the food-for-work programme to provide employment in the drought affected areas of Andhra Pradesh.

Additionally, the prime minister said that Andhra Bank has been instructed to coordinate with four other banks "" the State Bank of India, State Bank of Hyderabad, Indian Bank and the Syndicate Bank "" to visit the families who have lost their bread winners due to suicides.

He urged these banks to ensure that all these families received support to them for economic activities for ensuring steady income. He said that this would be implemented in the next 30 days and the prime minister's office as well as the state government would monitor the scheme.

In a statement issued to the press, Singh said that 1.82 lakh tonnes of food grains would be distributed under the scheme in addition to the 6 lakh tonnes which was made available earlier. Singh said that orders for the release of Rs 60 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund have been issued.

Singh urged the state government to take up necessary programmes to benefit the farmers under the recent scheme announced by the union finance ministry for doubling the credit flow to rural areas.

Singh advised the state government to issue entitlement cards to the bereaved families to monitor regular availability of food through public distribution system, nutrition, safe drinking water, health cover and employment.

Singh said that all necessary steps would be taken to strengthen the crop and life stock insurance to insulate farmers from the vagaries of drought.

He said that the government would work for simplifying the drought assistance norms and implement a programme for watershed management.

Singh also said that the central government was committed to bring forward a new Seed Act to regulate and standardise the quality of seeds as well as provide strict mechanism for penalties for violation of norms.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister, accompanied by the chief minister Y S Rajsekhara Reddy, interacted with the families of the victims in Somayajulapalle, a village 30 kms from Kurnool, eliciting from them as to what their immediate needs were and what the government could do about it.

Singh who was on a day-long visit to the state to understand the sufferings of farmers in the backdrop of a spate of suicides on account of heavy debts, met the women and children of the farmers who committed suicide.

Some of the victims who interacted with Singh said that their debts were to the tune of Rs seven to eight lakh which have been accumulated by their families and that they were not in a position to redeem because of successive failure of the monsoon.

The prime minister also gave cheques as assistance from the state government to the women. Among the people Singh met were two young children of a farmer who had committed suicide. The boy is speech challenged and his sister told the prime minister of their plight.

Singh also visited Dharmapur village in Mahabubnagar district and interacted with about 40 members from 13 families. He distributed an ex-gratia of Rs 19.5 lakh announced by the state government.

Speaking on the occasion, Singh said assured that the centre and the state governments would do everything possible to help the farmers who are reeling under sever drought.

Singh also announced a special package of Rs 45 lakh for Dharmapur village to undertake various developmental activities.