The Hindu : Kerala News : Central team arrives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Central team arrives

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 4. The Central team headed by Yaswant Raj, Joint Secretary, Home Affairs, arrived here on Tuesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage and destruction caused by tsunami.

After a short discussion with officials at the airport, the team began touring of Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kanyakumari districts in three groups. While one group left for Kanyakumari, the others are touring Kerala.

They will be joined here on Wednesday here by A. K. Restogi, Secretary (Disaster Management) for discussions with officials and Ministers. The team is scheduled to have discussions with the Revenue Minister, K. M. Mani, and the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, in the afternoon. The team would submit its report by the weekend.

The State Government is preparing a memorandum to be submitted to the team on Wednesday. Assistance would be sought for restoration of electricity and water supply, rebuilding of houses, building of infrastructural facilities and seawalls and payment of compensation to the victims. The disaster affected about four lakh persons in six districts.

The members of the team are R. K. Ojha (Deputy Secretary, Women and Child Development), N. Sankar (Assistant Commissioner, Fisheries), V. Sreekanth (Assistant Director, Environment), V. J. Menon (Deputy Secretary, Rural Development), V. K. Manchanda (Deputy Director, Health), Amit Kausik (Director, Elementary Education), M. Lal (Additional Commissioner, Agriculture), D. Rajasekhar (Assistant Advisor, Drinking Water), Jitish John (Representative of Planning Commission) and Ekambaran (Superintending Engineer, Roads).

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