Hyderabad: Faced with unprecedented heatwave and a large number of deaths, Andhra Pradesh government has sought Central assistance for the families of heatstroke victims under the National Calamity Relief Fund (NCRF).

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sought an assistance of Rs 50,000 to each of the family of heatstroke victims.

Since the existing guidelines under calamity relief fund did not give scope for state government to extend any relief to heatwave victims, Centre should come to the rescue of the bereaved families, Naidu said.

Stating that 1,065 people across the state had died due to heatstroke so far despite "precautionary measures" taken by the state government, he said, "As a measure of solace to the bereaved families, I request you to sanction Rs 50,000 each to the families of heatstroke victims."

He said absence of monsoon showers in time had added to the heatwave condition, which was "worst of its sort for the last three weeks".

Meanwhile, official sources said the state government was not in a position to sanction any relief to victims under its 'Apathbandhu' scheme as insurance companies did not treat heatstroke as a disease and the deaths due to heatstroke did not come under the category of "accidental deaths".

PTI