States Watch

Andhra Pradesh

PCC Contributes to Relief Operation

NEW DELHI: Responding to the call given by the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, to help the victims of the earthquake which devastated life and property in J&K, the Andhra PCC, under the guidance of the AICC secretary, Shri P. Sudhakar Reddy, initiated relief programme at Hyderabad by collecting clothes, utensils and other relief materials from the public by the Andhra PCC and other frontal organizations.

Shri Sudhakar Reddy then rushed to J&K, in Salamabad, 20-km from Uri, on 17 October alongwith Seva Dal and NSUI volunteers to coordinate and participate in the relief programme. About 130 Seva Dal workers, led by Sevadal chief organizer, Shri Prahalad Yadav, were given the responsibility to carry out relief work in Banihar Block in Uri sector and Tangdhar area. The NSUI team led by its president, Shri Nadeem Javed including 20 medical students from Srinagar Medical College were given the responsibility to survey and distribution of relief material in Uri sector and Tangdhar alongwith Youth Congress activists, led by Indian Youth Congress president, Shri Ashok Tanwar.

Shri Reddy, on his own behalf, distributed 300 blankets among the victims of earthquake and also met the SDM of Uri, the Deputy chief minister and PCC president, Shri mangat Ram Sharma and other office-bearers of the J&K PCC and enquired about the ongoing relief work. There was appreciation from the local people for the rescue work done by our military personnel, said Shri Sudhakar Reddy.

Rahul Gandhi Keen on AP-type Plan in Amethi

HYDERABAD: Impressed by the spread of micro-finance in the drought-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has asked Swayam Krushi Sangham (SKS) Microfinance to replicate the model in his constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

Shri Gandhi visited the SKS project in Nalgonda during his recent two-day stay here and spent time understanding the dynamics of microfinance at the grass-roots level. Shri Vikram Akrula, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SKS Microfinance said Shri Gandhi wanted the organization to design an action plan for Amethi. Shri Gandhi said he was not very happy with the progress and coverage of the existing self-help groups there, as they had shown signs of stagnation with just about 20,000 members, Shri Akula said.