The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Monsoon over, but complaints over relief distribution continue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 20, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Monsoon over, but complaints over relief distribution continue

K. Manikandan

Elected representatives allege that their wards were ignored by officials

TAMBARAM: Long after the monsoons and the subsequent flooding, residents in the southern suburbs continue to complain about lack of relief distribution. The issue also echoed in the council meetings of the local bodies, with the elected representatives alleging that their wards were ignored by officials.

For instance, residents of Vetri Nagar, West Tambaram, said more than 100 houses were marooned following the unprecedented rains on December 3. And though elected representatives and officials visited the locality, nothing came out of it.

Jagathamma, a senior citizen, said the entire ground floor of her house was flooded, forcing them to remain on the first floor the whole day.

Though she appealed to the officials, she did not receive any relief.

M.R. Lingam, another resident, wondered whether the residents were declared "ineligible" for relief though the municipality authorities had inspected the damage.

Officials of Tambaram municipality said the selection of residents affected by floods and eligible for relief was done only after an inspection by a team of officials. The team identified 91 streets in the municipality and the residents eligible for relief.

Only those areas where water entered the houses, irrespective of whether they were thatched huts or pucca buildings, making it impossible for the inmates to venture out for 24 hours, were short-listed for relief distribution.

Vetri Nagar was also included in the list of flood-affected areas, officials said. Hence, residents need not panic as distribution of relief had not come to a close. The revenue authorities were continuing with the relief distribution in all areas and the affected residents would not be ignored.

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