The Hindu : Kerala News : Duplicate ration cards for fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Duplicate ration cards for fishermen

By Our Special Correspondent

The all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday to discuss relief and rehabilitation measures taken for victims of the tsunami onslaught in the costal villages of the State. Photo: C. Ratheesh Ku mar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 28. The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to simplify procedures for issue of duplicate ration cards and certificates to the people displaced by the tsunami waves in the State. Officials will visit the relief camps to issue the duplicates.

Government secretaries Lida Jacob and T. K. Jose, who are overseeing relief work at Alappad and Arattupuzha villages, will be entrusted with the task of drawing up schemes to rebuild the villages.

The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, told the media after a special Cabinet meeting today that destruction of the villages was near total. The Government would build houses and amenities for the people there, besides providing compensatory amount. Decisions had already been taken regarding building communication facilities and supply of drinking water and electricity to the villages.

About two acres of land would be acquired, at a cost of Rs. 16 lakhs, for resettling people who had been displaced during an earlier calamity (sea erosion) at Arattupuzha.

Free ration

Mr. Chandy announced that a month's free ration would be given to people who had to move out from the coast for fear of the killer waves. The benefit would be extended to people engaged in estuarine fisheries also. Steps for provision of compensation for lost boats and gears of fishermen would be speeded up. Applications for compensation would be received at the camps.

Noting that many students had lost their certificates and books, Mr. Chandy said the Education Department would open counters at the camps and issue duplicates on application without fee or other formalities. Similarly, the taluk supply officers or officers would visit camps for issue of duplicate ration cards. Those who had lost passports and land documents may apply for duplicates through Revenue officials.

The Chief Minister announced that students who lost textbooks and notebooks would be them free before the schools reopen after the Christmas vacation.

Memorandum to Centre

The Government, he said, would submit a detailed memorandum to the Centre seeking assistance for relief and rehabilitation. Mr. Chandy said before that he would write to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, seeking assistance. The letter would be sent in a day or two.

The Government, he said, will hold a meeting of scientists to seek their views on early warning system and related issues. The advisability of building sea walls for protection would also be discussed. The damage was less in areas where there were sea walls.

All-party meeting

The Chief Minister said an all-party conference, convened today, had discussed the relief measures.

The conference has called upon all to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Voluntary organisations should route their assistance through the tahsildars. Use of uniforms and insignia that would provoke communal divisions would not be permitted in relief camps.

Mr. Chandy deplored efforts by some anti-social elements to block relief work in protest against delays. This demoralised officials. "I can understand the indignation of the people in the affected areas and we take that in the right spirit. However, some outsiders had even blocked the JCBs brought for relief work."

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