About 1000 deaths are reported due to hot waves in the State. The families of those deceased because of the never seen before heat in the State were announced for their entitlement for the ex-gratia of Rs.50000/- by the State Government. It is a natural calamity on which the Government has no direct control.

The families of the persons died of cold waves in the Northern States were paid an ex-gratia of 1.50 lakhs i.e. three times more than that of the compensation declared by AP Government for heat wave deaths.

The difference in the treatment is due to the compensation announced by the Statement on its own under Apathbandhu Scheme of the Government with the connivance of New India Insurance Company where as the compensation paid to the families of the person died due cold wave is paid from the State Disaster Response Fund that is contributed by the Central Government.

National Disaster Management Authority recognized 11 calamities so far to pay compensation under them and hot waves death is not included in that.

The State Government of AP is taking two steps to get it regularized for the benefit of the unfortunate victims' families. Number one, The New India Insurance Co. is asked to waive off the rule of registering an FIR and submission of its copy along with the postmortem report in these cases. Number two, the State Government is going to write to the National Disaster Management Authority to include hot waves in the list of calamities entitled for the compensation by the Central Government.

(AW-SriJa)