The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Centre, State contribution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Centre, State contribution

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, DEC. 29 . The Centre and the Tamil Nadu Government each will give Rs. 1 lakh to the families of tsunami victims, the Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, said today.

He told presspersons at Vedaranyam after visiting the affected areas in Nagore, Nagapattinam, Velankanni and Vedaranyam coast that if a family had lost four persons they would get Rs. 8 lakhs.

The compensation for loss of property would be decided after consulting the State Governments. Top priority should be given for construction of houses for the fishermen, for buying them nets and boats. They must be provided permanent houses at least 500 metres away from the sea.

Mr. Chidambaram said that the relief work in Tamil Nadu was going on at a snail's pace and said the Pondicherry Government had been going about it fastly. He said he had instructed the Tamil Nadu Government to give Rs.1,000 in cash to the families of the victims apart from rice, utensils and clothes.

The Pondicherry Government was giving Rs. 2,000 cash and 20 kg of rice to each family.

Mr. Chidambaram began the distribution of 21 tonnes of rice received from his native village Puduvayal in Sivaganga district to the affected families in Vedaranyam coastal areas. P.V. Rajendran, a prominent Congress leader and former MP, accompanied Mr. Chidambaram.

Anbumani visits

affected areas

The Union Health Minister, Anbumani, accompanied Mr. Chidambaram and visited several affected areas in Nagapattinam district and consoled the family members of the victims.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat, along with N. Varadarajan, State CPI(M) secretary and party cadre visited the affected areas.

Yesterday, the Union Minister of State for Railways, R. Velu, inspected the damage caused to the track on the Nagapattinam-Nagore section and met the family members of the victims.

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary, Vaiko, consoled the affected people.

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