The Hindu : Front Page : Chidambaram claim contested

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

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Chidambaram claim contested

Special Correspondent

Jayalalithaa reiterates Centre has released only Rs. 679.61 cr. for tsunami relief Joins issue with the Minister on amount released for tsunami relief

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday reiterated that the Centre had released only Rs. 679.61 crore for tsunami relief works to Tamil Nadu though the Union Home Ministry had provided an outlay of Rs. 2347.19 crore for the State under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami Affected Areas.

In a statement here, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had been repeatedly making a "false claim" through statements that the Centre had already released Rs. 5,000 crore towards tsunami relief.

She urged Union Ministers from the State and "those who thought that they were dominating the Centre, to desist from gimmickry and take necessary steps to get the Central funds for tsunami and flood relief as demanded by the State Government."

Referring to Mr. Chidambaram's recent statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa said she had neither denied nor concealed the fact that the Home Ministry had earmarked Rs. 2347.19 crore for the State towards tsunami relief. But the amount was yet to be released. "Can Mr. Chidambaram disclose the dates on which the amount was credited in the State Government's account? Certainly he can't, as the Centre has released only Rs.679.61 crore to the State towards tsunami relief."

"Why has the amount not yet been released to the Tamil Nadu Government? Who is blocking it?" she asked.

"If Mr. Chidambaram was disinclined to provide the relief fund to the tsunami victims, who had lost their homes, property and livelihood, he should divulge it."

She also made reference to a Tamil saying that one could not write "rice" on a piece of paper and eat it. Mr. Chidambaram should stop issuing statements merely citing Government Orders claiming that funds had already been released.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said while replying to her statement that the State Government would receive Rs.2275 crore as loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, besides the Rs.342.90 crore given by the Asian Development Bank as grant, for reconstruction and rehabilitation in the tsunami-hit areas, Mr. Chidambaram had resorted to "jugglery of words" by claiming that "external assistance" to the tune of Rs. 2678.37 crore had been provided for. The funds provided by the external funding agencies were "loans" and the State Government had to repay the amount along with interest and hence could not be termed "assistance."

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