PONDICHERRY: The secretary of the Pondicherry State committee of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and party legislator, A Anbalagan, has said that the World Bank had provided Rs 180 crores as assistance to Pondicherry Administration for various rehabilitation and housing facilities in tsunami hit fishermen villages in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions, but nothing had been done to construct houses out of this for the tsunami ravaged families.

Addressing a meeting of the rank and file of the party at Ariyankuppam near here on Sunday, he said that it was only when the AIADMK launched protests did the government budge from its `inertia' to extend relief to the fishermen. But nothing had been done in Ariyankuppam commune which had a larger number of fishermen and non-fishermen families and who bore the brunt of the tsunami on December 26, 2004.

Charging the Congress Government here with having failed the poor and the suffering sections of people, Mr. Anbalagan said that unemployment was rampant in Ariyankuppam constituency and no efforts were being made to relieve the youth of their agony.

Pon. Aranganathan, the secretary of the Ariyankuppam unit of the party, presided over the function

Resolutions adopted at the end of the meeting were later distributed to newsmen.

Among other things, the party has called upon the Administration to develop Arikamedu village on the banks of the Ariyankuppam backwater into a tourist spot. The village boasted of trade links several thousands years ago with Rome; commercial and trade activities were in full bloom in Arikamedu when it was a port with trade links to Rome.

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