The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Special package has to be worked out: CM

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

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Special package has to be worked out: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 27. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today told the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, that a special relief package had to be worked out after a detailed survey in view of the unprecedented colossal damage caused by tsunami on Sunday. She also stressed the need for creating a tsunami warning system to provide advance information to the people.

An official release issued shortly after Ms. Jayalalithaa met Mr. Patil at the Raj Bhavan here, said that the Home Minister had assured her that given the nature of the rare severity of the occurrence and extent of damage, a special package would be worked out.

The Union Minister of State for Home, S. Ragupathy, and the Union Minister of State for Finance, S.S. Palanimanickam, were also present during the meeting, which lasted for 30 minutes.

The Chief Minister made a specific request for assistance to clear the debris at various locations in Nagapattinam district and to locate the dead. Responding to her plea for support to rescue people in marooned villages in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts, Mr. Patil assured that the support would be provided today itself.

Fishermen's plight

Ms. Jayalalithaa highlighted the extreme suffering of the fishermen who had lost their boats, houses and all their belongings. She also called for working out a special package for the fishermen on the ground that their rehabilitation could not be undertaken under the usual norms of the calamity relief fund.

She indicated that the Centre should establish a tsunami warning system which could give some advance notice of such occurrences. "This will help early evacuation measures to be undertaken by the State Government."

The Chief Minister gave the details of the death toll and the devastation wrought by the tsunami in the affected districts of Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram. She apprised him of the search, rescue and relief operations taken up by the State administration.

Expressing his appreciation of the relief works undertaken by the State Government on a war-footing, Mr. Patil assured continued and full support of the Centre for these efforts, the release said.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by the Public Works Minister, O. Paneerselvam; the Finance Minister, C. Ponnaiyan; the Chief Secretary, Lakshmi Pranesh; the Finance Secretary, N. Narayanan; the Special Commissioner and Commissioner of Revenue Administration, R. Santhanam; the Secretary (Public), T. Pitchandi; the Director-General of Police, I.K. Govind; the Commissioner of Chennai Corporation, M.P. Vijayakumar; and the Commissioner of Police, R. Nataraj.

`Logistic support'

Mr. Shivraj Patil said the State Government was doing its best in providing relief to the affected people. "We will be too willing to provide all the required relief assistance to the Tamil Nadu Government. What the State Government needs is more of logistic support for transporting marooned people, besides providing succour," Mr. Patil told reporters at the Chennai airport before embarking on an aerial survey of the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, covering the stretch of the East Coast Road, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

"The Centre will provide special financial assistance after assessing the extent of damages and devastation," the Minister said adding that the Centre will always extend a helping hand to the States affected by the calamity.

Referring to the Sri Lankan Government's request seeking relief assistance, Mr. Patil said that two ships carrying medicine and other assistance had already left for the island.

Mr. Vijayakumar, who was present at the airport, apprised the Minister of the efforts taken by the civic body to help the affected.

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