The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Patil announces Rs. 25-crore assistance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Other States

Other States - Pondicherry

Patil announces Rs. 25-crore assistance

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, DEC. 27. The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, today announced here an immediate Central assistance of Rs. 25 crores to the Pondicherry Administration to enable it to manage the situation in tsunami-hit coastal villages in the Pondicherry and Karaikal regions.

Addressing newsmen at the airport here after seeing video clippings of the havoc, Mr. Patil, who was on an aerial survey of the devastation suffered in coastal villages of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, said it was heart-rending that an extensive damage had been caused in Pondicherry. The Minister said he was informed (by the territorial Government) that nearly 300 bodies were found.

Praising the efforts of the Government in rushing relief to the affected people, he said the Lieutenant Governor, M.M. Lakhera, the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, and his colleagues were doing their best.

He announced the immediate sanction of Rs. 25 crores sought by the administration.

Earlier Mr. Rangasamy handed over a letter to the Home Minister making out a plea for an emergency relief of Rs. 25 crores.

Mr. Lakhera, who welcomed Mr. Patil, informed him that Karaikal bore the brunt of the calamity.

`Rs. 300-crore damage'

The Chief Secretary, C.S. Khairwal, with the help of video presentation and statistical details, detailed the extent of damage the Pondicherry and Karaikal regions suffered. He said the Government had assessed that as much as Rs. 300-crore worth farm land, public and public properties were lost in the disaster.

Relief camps were functioning in the two regions and food packets were distributed on Sunday to 30,000 people in Pondicherry and 25,000 people in Karaikal. The death toll as on today stood at 372 in both the regions and it was feared that it would raise by 100.

The services of the Coast Guard and the Naval Force were sought for rescue works.

900 missing

While 900 persons were feared missing as many as 15,000 houses were damaged in the two regions.

The Medical and Revenue departments were providing relief to the affected people.

The Union Ministers, S. Regupathy and S.S. Palanimanickam; the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan; the Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee president, V. Narayanasamy; the local Ministers; the Secretary to Union Home Ministry (Border Management), A.K. Rastogi; the District Collector, V. Candavelou, and the Development Commissioner, B.V. Selvaraj, were present at the airport.

Mr. Patil later left here to continue the aerial assessment of the damage in coastal villages of Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Patil announces Rs. 25-crore assistance

JIPMER to hold special camps today

Survivors uncertain about future

Power shutdown

Rangasamy appeals for contributions to relief fund