The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Centre-State relations torn asunder: Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Centre-State relations torn asunder: Jayalalithaa

The following is the text of the Press Statement of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the announcement of the `Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami-affected Areas'.

"I am greatly disturbed by the unilateral Press Statement issued by the Union Finance Minister, Thiru P. Chidambaram on 29-1-2005 on a rehabilitation package for tsunami affected areas, named `Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami-affected Areas'. This statement also indicates that the livelihood rehabilitation measures for fishermen announced on 19-1-2005 after a meeting of the Union Cabinet will be implemented only by the Public Sector Banks including the subsidy component, setting aside and completely ignoring the State Governments. This is a most unfortunate and shocking development completely bypassing the States. I have today (30-1-2005) written to the Hon'ble Prime Minster seeking his immediate personal intervention to intercede and ensure that the States are empowered to rightfully undertake rehabilitation works.

"The tsunami struck the Tamil Nadu coast on 26-12-2004. Under my command, the entire State Government machinery was mobilized to undertake relief operations on a war footing. It was the State Government which undertook the search, rescue, evacuation, cremation/burial of the dead and the organisation of relief camps in the first phase. Without waiting for any financial assistance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund or from the Government of India, it was the State Government which provided the entire immediate relief package to all the affected persons including fishermen. It was the State Government which organized temporary housing for the affected families. Again I ensured that the first livelihood rehabilitation package for fishermen was launched on 28-12-2004 itself at a cost of Rs. 65 crores, at a time when the Central Government had not even examined the issue. It was the Government of Tamil Nadu which carried out all the relief operations so far.

"Given the magnitude of the financial requirements for taking up further relief and rehabilitation operations, I ensured that a detailed survey was undertaken and a memorandum was prepared setting out the damages and the assistance required from the Government of India. The memorandum seeking assistance of Rs.4,800 crores was sent to the Prime Minister on 4-1-2005. This included the entire rehabilitation package for fishermen amounting to Rs.1054.06 crores.

"The Hon'ble Prime Minister had scheduled a detailed meeting with me on 7-1-2005 on the requirement of financial assistance by the Government of Tamil Nadu to handle the tsunami relief operations. The Memorandum presented by the Government of Tamil Nadu was the basis for these discussions. A detailed presentation was made to the Prime Minister at this meeting explaining the requirement under each component and specific details relating to the rehabilitation of fishermen were discussed in depth. Following this meeting, the Union Minister of Agriculture had further in-depth discussions on the specific subject of the extent of assistance required by the Government of Tamil Nadu for the rehabilitation of fishermen and for construction of pucca houses in new locations for the affected families. The Union Minister of Agriculture also requested that the Government of Tamil Nadu may complete the detailed survey and a further meeting could be held on the basis of this data to determine the assistance to be given to the State Government to undertake the rehabilitation package for fishermen. I had even then insisted that given the great loss suffered by fishermen of both their fishing craft and their houses, the rehabilitation package should be on a 100 per cent grant basis without linking it to any loan component.

"The further meeting with the Union Minister of Agriculture was held at the Secretariat, Chennai, on 15-1-2005 to discuss the rehabilitation package for fishermen to be implemented by the State Government. At this meeting the survey data compiled by the Government of Tamil Nadu was presented and the details of assistance for each type of fishing craft were gone into in great detail. The latest assessment of the Government of Tamil Nadu totalling Rs.1030.93 crores for the rehabilitation of fishermen and related items was presented at this meeting. I had insisted that this entire package should be provided as grant assistance.

"I have seen Press Reports of the Union Cabinet meeting held on 19-1-2005. The Press Reports clearly indicated that an assistance package for different States affected by tsunami had been finalized. These Press Reports clearly indicated that the subsidy component for the rehabilitation of fishermen would be part of the assistance package to the States. No formal orders were however forthcoming from the Government of India. As any further delay would have meant a setback to the momentum already achieved in the relief and rehabilitation measures, I proceeded to announce a package of assistance to fishermen for their livelihood rehabilitation, including replacement of fishing craft, based on the information relating to the financial assistance to the states announced by Union Ministers following the Union Cabinet meeting on 19-1-2005. It may be pointed out that both the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of Pondicherry have likewise issued orders on the specific understanding that the assistance from the Government of India would be given to the State/Union Territory to take up the rehabilitation programme for fishermen.

"Against this background, it is most shocking that the Union Finance Minister has shot off a Press Statement completely bypassing and disregarding the State Governments in undertaking the rehabilitation package for fishermen. The Union Finance Minister has indicated that both the subsidy amount and the loan amount for purchase of fishing craft, etc., will be disbursed by the Commercial Banks themselves. Does this mean that the State Governments are not to be trusted with the rehabilitation programme for their fishermen, belonging to the respective States? This Statement is thoughtless as it completely seems to ignore that the State Governments exist in a federal polity like ours. I am quite bewildered as to how such an insensitive and impractical Statement has been issued by the Union Finance Minister.

"What is worse, the Union Finance Minister in his Statement issues directions to the Chief Secretary, Relief Commissioner and the District Collectors in the affected States/ Union Territory, whereas he has completely dismissed the State Governments as non-existent. This is truly shocking.

"Our Constitution visualises a specific role for States. Duly elected State Governments have to discharge the functions and responsibilities enshrined in the Constitution. State Governments are very much closer to the people. Fisheries is a very much in the State List. When this is so, I am dismayed by the facile manner in which the delicate fabric of Centre-State relations has been torn asunder by the Press Statement of the Union Finance Minister.

"The relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu have earned widespread acclaim. There are no two opinions about this. Another heartening facet has been that all agencies and people have come together sinking differences and participating shoulder to shoulder in the relief effort. This was amply reflected in the All Party Meeting that I convened on 7-1-2005. When everyone is appreciative of this upsurge of common intent and commitment reflected in joint action, the Press Statement of the Union Finance Minister unilaterally naming the rehabilitation effort as `Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami Affected Areas' is jarring and unnecessarily divides people on political lines. It is indeed a deplorable attempt to make political capital out of an unprecedented natural disaster.

"This divisive situation which has been created by the Press Statement of the Union Finance Minister in the middle of a massive rehabilitation programme calling for concerted and co-ordinated action is most unwarranted. It has to be rectified at once as otherwise the whole programme will be jeopardised. The State Government has made tremendous efforts to counsel and instill self confidence among the fishermen who have been badly affected. The detailed survey itself was undertaken following a participatory approach. This indicated that the permanent rehabilitation programme has to incorporate several dimensions. All this make it absolutely essential that the State Government is fully involved.

"It is well known that all Calamity Relief and Rehabilitation works are undertaken by State Governments and the assistance is always given only to the States. It is most unfortunate that the Union Finance Minister has sought to eliminate and totally bypass the States in undertaking rehabilitation works. This just cannot be allowed to happen. I have requested the Honourable Prime Minister for his immediate personal intervention to reverse the arrangement set out by the Union Finance Minister. I have also requested that following the usual practice and convention, the States may be entrusted with both the responsibility and funds for undertaking the entire rehabilitation programme, including the fishermen rehabilitation programme as only the States have the machinery, facilities and capability to put through a large programme."

Sd J Jayalalithaa,

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

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