NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) on Tuesday urged the Centre to take steps for early release of flood relief to the State.

TNCC president G.K. Vasan thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for deputing a ministerial and official team to assess flood damage. He also expressed thanks for the release of Rs. 500 crores as first instalment of relief.

In a memorandum, Mr. Vasan said unexpected and unprecedented rain had caused widespread damage to life and property and had disrupted the life of majority of the people.

"Overflowing lakes and dams have wiped out many villages. Extensive damage has also been caused to railway tracks and national highways. People of rural areas, agriculturalists, artisans and daily wage earners are the worst-affected," he said.

Having realised the enormity of the problem, the Centre had first sent a team of officials and later that of Union Ministers headed by the Home Minister for on-the-spot study.

Mr. Vasan urged the Centre to release the remaining amount of relief as soon as the central team submitted its report. He suggested formation of an all-party state-level committee to oversee relief operations.

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