MADURAI: A special District Consultative Committee was convened here on Thursday, under the chairmanship of the Collector, D. Raajendiran, to discuss the measures required to expedite the process of providing relief to the flood-affected.

Officials from several departments, banks and representatives from insurance companies, attended the meeting.

The District Rural Development Agency, departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Mahalir Thittam, and Madurai Corporation were directed to assess flood damages and submit detailed reports by December 12.

Acting on these reports, the 250 bank branches in the district would extend relief to the afflicted. The insurance companies have been urged to process claims quickly.

The Reserve Bank of India has already circulated guidelines to banks instructing them to follow norms that apply for natural calamities.

These measures include rescheduling of existing loans and granting fresh loans to different sections of people who suffered economic damage in recent rain and flash floods.

Already the State-level Bankers Committee has established special task forces to assess the extent of damage and these committees, formed on the advice of RBI, would recommend special relief assistance in flood-affected areas.

The Centre has asked the State Government to direct the administration to provide relevant particulars to banks and enable the task force to complete its chore and recommend assistance.

The process of disbursing relief to the flood affected families in Madurai district gained momentum. At the end of the second day of relief distribution on Thursday, the administration had provided the relief to as many as 55,400 persons.

According to the Collector, D. Raajendiran, the relief was given away at the 42 distribution centres in Madurai North and 23 in Madurai South in the city and in addition several others in the rural areas.

So far, 17,732 persons were provided the relief in Madurai South Taluk, 32,870 in Madurai North, 760 in Melur, 1969 in Vadipatti Taluk, 490 in Usilampatti, 528 in Peraiyur Taluk, and 135 persons in Tirumangalam.

The Housing and Urban Development Minister, Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, visited the houses of those who had lost their lives in the recent flash floods in Madurai district and disbursed solatium to the tune of to Rs.2.9 lakhs to seven families on Thursday.

He gave away Rs.35,000 to the kin of Poongothai in Goripalayam, Rs.50,000 to the family of Maheswari of Jamburopuram, Rs.50,000 to Chandra's family at Visalakshipuram, Rs. 50,000 to Ayyanar's family at Thenur, Rs.35,000 to Palanisamy's kin at Usilampatti, Rs.35,000 to Ramachandran's kin at Melakottai in Tirumangalam and Rs.35,000 to Kuppandi's family at Thotiyatti.

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