The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Kerala banks on Central aid for providing relief to rain-hit people

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Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Kerala banks on Central aid for providing relief to rain-hit people

Special Correspondent

Revenue Minister Rajendran puts the damage at Rs. 150 crore

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government is looking for Central support for providing succour to thousands who suffered losses in last fortnight’s monsoon fury.

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran told the Assembly on Wednesday that the Government expected the Centre to go beyond the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) norms and provide assistance to compensate the rain-affected people for loss of lives and extensive damage to crops and property. Latest estimates put the rain damage at Rs. 150 crore.

Mr. Rajendran did not hide the State’s disappointment with the Centre for its failure to provide extra assistance to cover rain-related damage and losses last year. Though the State submitted extensive accounts of the losses, a Central team visited the State at the peak of the rainy season and the Prime Minister offered special assistance, all that the Centre sanctioned was Rs. 28 crore. Even this money did not materialise with the Centre asking the State to dip into the CRF allocation for the five-year Finance Commission Award.

Optimistic

In effect, all that the State received was a letter of consent from the Centre, the Revenue Minister said. He was optimistic this time, and it stemmed from repeated interactions with the Centre, particularly Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, who belongs to the Kerala cadre. He had given a detailed account of the rain damage when the matter was discussed at a meeting in New Delhi on June 8.

The Government was in constant touch with the National Disaster Management Authority.

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