Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to provide immediate financial assistance to families affected by Cyclone Murasu and maintain supplies of essential commodities, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle citing a press release issued after a review meeting. The report also says power restoration was continuing in 1,825 affected villages and that relief commodities had reached 3.8 lakh families.
Naidu reviewed relief, rehabilitation and restoration measures at his camp office, seeking updates from officials on electricity infrastructure, crop damage, commodity distribution and price controls. The Chief Minister was quoted as saying that the government would ensure uninterrupted availability of essential commodities, control market prices and provide immediate financial assistance to affected families.
The Civil Supplies Department told officials that essential commodities were being distributed through the cyclone relief operation. The department was also reviewing the availability and prices of onions, rice, palm oil, wheat flour and red gram dal through ration shops and Rythu Bazaars.
According to the report, 8,000 quintals of onions had been procured and were being sold through Rythu Bazaars at Rs 35 per kg. Traders had agreed to sell different varieties of rice at prices ranging from Rs 47 to Rs 82 per kg, while cases had been registered against 204 traders for allegedly violating government directions.
The report said Dharani brand rice was being sold at Rs 50 per kg through Rythu Bazaars, compared with an open-market price of Rs 70 per kg. BPT rice was available at Rs 49 per kg. Officials said 27,430 quintals of rice had been sold through 150 counters, benefiting 1.03 lakh families. Arrangements were also being made to supply palm oil at Rs 125 per litre, red gram dal at Rs 100 per kg and wheat flour at Rs 25 per kg through ration shops.
Power restoration was another focus of the review. Officials said electricity supply had been restored in all affected villages following damage to around 30,000 electricity poles during Cyclone Arnab. Separately, after Cyclone Murasu, restoration work was reported to be under way in 1,825 affected villages, with 7,850 damaged poles repaired.
The report further said that nearly 92 per cent of the assessment of horticultural crop damage had been completed. It stated that the assessment of agricultural crop losses would be completed by November 9. That date falls after the report’s stated publication date of November 8, and the supplied copy does not clarify whether the date refers to a subsequent administrative deadline or contains a reporting error.
The copy also refers to Cyclone Arnab while describing electricity-pole damage and Cyclone Murasu while describing current relief and restoration measures. It does not explain whether the two references concern separate weather events or whether one cyclone name was used incorrectly. The reported financial-assistance plan, damage figures, crop assessments and restoration status therefore require confirmation from the relevant Andhra Pradesh government departments or the cited press release before the claims can be treated as independently verified.
