CHENNAI: Hundreds of residents in Velachery and the adjoining areas in south Chennai, who were severely affected in the unprecedented rain and flooding in the last two months, will not get a relief package.

The reason: they do not fall in the `low-income group' according to a government order.

The torrential rain from October last week till mid-December displaced the residents in Velachery and areas adjoining the Pallikaranai marshland such as Vijayanagar, Ramnagar, Muruga Nagar, VGP Selva Nagar, Bhuvaneswari Nagar, Anna Nagar, Venus Colony, Balamurugan Nagar, Annai Indira Nagar, and Udayam Nagar. Residents say there was three to five feet of water at least on three occasions. The floods caused damage to household appliances and furniture

S. Kumararaja, Secretary, Federation of Velachery Welfare Associations, said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who visited Velachery on December 4 last, announced that flood relief would be distributed to all the families in the area affected by floods. But till date, residents have not received it.

Mr. Kumararaja has written a letter to the Revenue department.

"Better position"

When contacted, a revenue official said the residents in Velachery were in an economically better position and "we have been instructed to give flood relief only to low-income groups."

The official cited a Revenue department order dated November 8, 2005, which said flood relief was to be distributed only in streets in low-income areas.

The streets were identified by the Chennai Corporation Commissioner and counter signed by the Chennai Collector.

But the residents point out that Ms. Jayalalithaa on January 18 told the Assembly that in any flood affected street, the complicated house-to-house enumeration process would be dispensed with; and if a house was surrounded by flood water, the families would get relief.

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