The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Government gearing up relief machinery

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

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Government gearing up relief machinery

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, DEC. 29. After getting the Armed forces fully involved in the rescue and relief operations for tsunami-affected persons, the State Government today deployed an army of its own personnel to speed up the process and ensure that the relief reaches the needy as soon as possible.

Senior officers have already taken up positions in all affected districts as `Zonal Commissioners' to oversee the relief activities. Now, a battery of revenue officials from all over the State has been redeployed in the affected areas to quicken the pace of operations. Simultaneously, junior IAS officers are being rushed to Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts in particular so that each of them can take charge of relief work in a cluster of five or six villages.

382 relief centres

A senior official told The Hindu that 382 relief centres were set up and about 3.08 lakh people accommodated there. Enough supply of food and other essentials was arranged for the displaced.

Nagapattinam district accounted for the lion's share of 96 camps with over 91,000 people, while Kanyakumari had 59 camps with 39,800 people. Chennai had 25 camps with 30,000 people.

He said that aside from the relief materials procured by the Government, voluntary organisations were sending their supplies. The Civil Supplies Corporation's major godown at Virugambakkam here had been converted into a relief godown, while the District Collectors had been asked to keep one of their godowns for this purpose.

The Government has delegated powers to the Collectors to draw funds from the Treasury to meet their immediate requirements, without having to wait for orders.

Asked about the implementation of the relief package announced by the Chief Minister on Tuesday, he said orders were already issued for the entire programme. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, is expected to hand tomorrow a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the families of those who lost their kin in the tusnami.

She will visit some of the affected districts on Thursday. But it would take some time to get the details for the relief package.

Enumeration

Simultaneously, a quick enumeration of the affected families along the coast has been taken up and the exercise will be completed in time to implement the package. "The Government will provide the basic cost for the fishermen to repair their boats or catamarans and the district administration can even help to ensure that carpenters and other workers to undertake such a large-scale repair programme are made available along the cost," a senior official said.

Asked why some of the coastal villages had not been reached by the administration, the sources said: "Some areas are marooned. There was this bridge in Nagapattinam district, which is blocked by a heavy boat and some vehicles which were thrown up there by the giant waves. We tried every possible means of removing them, in vain. Now we have asked the Army to destroy the bridge and provide an alternative. That is why we have not been able to reach some of the villages beyond this bridge."

Voluntary agencies and non-government organisations are still complaining that there is "no coordination" at the district level. Quite often too many organisations are taking food to the same people. Officials say private agencies or donors could contact the Collector or senior coordinating officer to channel their assistance to the right people. "At the moment, we are told bedsheets, bedding material, utensils and clothes are much much in demand and will be useful to the displaced families."

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