Hyderabad, Oct 10th: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Oct 10 announced a special housing package for reconstruction of houses washed away in the floods. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, Mr Rosaiah, returning after accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on an aerial survey of flood-ravaged Kurnool and Mehboobnagar Districts, said combining the centrally sponsored Indira Awas Yojan and State Schemes, the State Government estimated the number of fully collapsed houses to be reconstructed at about one lakh.

As pointed out by the Prime Minister, funds should not be a constraint when it comes to dealing with the natural disaster of this magnitude. It had been estimated that in about 50 villages, 90 per cent of the houses had completely collapsed. Each house would be reconstructed at a cost of Rs 68,200 each within six months, adding the Andhra Pradesh State Housing Corporation would be entrusted with the task. ''This is a special package to deal with the unprecedented natural disaster and shall not be quoted as a precedent in the future,'' CM made it clear. He directed the District Collectors to ensure that enumeration of houses collapsed in the recent floods was done correctly and immediately.