Kerala - Kollam   

Chandy brings hope to tsunami orphan

Staff Reporter

Chief Minister hands over bank documents for special ex gratia payment

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy handing over the bank documents for Rs.1 lakh to Neetu at Klapana, near Kollam, on Sunday. Mariamma Oomen can also be seen.

KOLLAM : In the afternoon on Christmas Day, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, accompanied by his wife Mariamma and son Chandy, arrived at Klapana near Karunagapally to call on the school student Neetu, who had been orphaned by the tsunami on Alapad.

The Chief Minister arrived at the house to hand over a special ex gratia payment of Rs.1 lakh to Neetu. The bank documents for the amount to remain as a fixed deposit till she attains 18 years of age were handed over to her.

Interest from the amount deposited at the Karunagapally branch of the State Bank of Travancore could be utilised for her studies. She is at liberty to withdraw the amount on turning 18. The Chief Minister handed over documents pertaining to the amount to her.

Neetu is currently staying with her maternal aunt and was the only child of her parents. The Chief Minister also gave directions to District Collector B. Sreenivas to enlist her name in the rehabilitation list for houses. He said the house should be constructed on four cents of land on the plot identified by her.

Ms. Mariamma Oommen reassured Neetu saying that she take the liberty to call her up for any need or help. The Chief Minister was with Neetu for almost one-and-a-half hours. DCC president Sooranad Rajashekaran and KPCC general secretary K.C. Rajan also accompanied the Chief Minister.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Reliving a calamity
Chandy brings hope to tsunami orphan
Government urged to disburse diesel subsidy

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu