Tamil Nadu CM to leave for Tiruvarur today

Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami will leave by train to Tiruvarur on Tuesday night to personally inspect the damage caused due to cyclone Gaja. He would also visit Nagapattinam district.

The Central team which has been deputed by the Centre to assess the damage caused by the cyclone has completed its visit to the affected coastal districts on Monday and the panel would wrap up the visit by holding a meeting with the Chief Minister at the Secretariat here on Tuesday. Later, Mr Palaniswami would leave for Tiruvarur by train. From there he would visit the affected areas by road and interact with the people. Thereafter he would proceed to Nagapattinam. The CM could not cover both these districts during his personal assessment of the devastation earlier.

Last week, while touring the cyclone-hit areas in Pudukottai, Mr Palaniswami had to abruptly call off the visit owing to heavy rains. He however made an aerial survey of the destruction caused by the cyclone. Following his visit, the CM met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him about the destruction caused by the cyclone and sought over Rs. 15,000 crore for compensation and rehabilitation work.  The CM had deputed senior ministers and officials to oversee the relief and restoration work in the affected districts and had even ordered the release of Rs 1,000 crore for relief activities.