Rs 6000 Relief for Michaung Victims

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a cash relief of Rs 6000 to each of the families affected by the floods caused by the unprecedented rains brought by Cyclone Michaung on December 3 and 4 causing widespread devastation in Chennai and its adjoining districts of Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram.

The announcement that came in after the Chief Minister chaired a review meeting attended by Ministers and top officers at the Secretariat on Saturday said that the cash compensation would be paid through the ration shops near the victims’ residents.

Along with the Rs 6000 relief, the government also announced an increase in the payment of compensation to the families of those who were died in the disaster from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, for loss of dwelling from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and for crop damage, death of cattle and damage to boats and fishing gear.

Farmers who suffered more than 33 per cent crop damage would get compensation as follows: Rs 17,000 per hectare (earlier it was Rs 13,500) for paddy, Rs 22,500 per hectare of perennial crops (earlier Rs 18,000) and Rs 8,500 (earlier Rs 7410) for crops under dry land cultivation.

Owners of cattle like buffaloes and cows that died in the floods would also get an enhanced relief of Rs 37,000 from the earlier Rs 30,000 and for goats and sheep it has been raised from Rs 3000 to Rs 4000.

In the case of fishermen, for full damage of catamarans and nets the compensation has been raised to Rs 50,000 from Rs 32,000 and to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000 for partial damage, while for boats the subsidy has gone up to Rs one lakh from Rs 75,000 and for motor boats to Rs 7.5 lakh from Rs 5 lakh. In the case of damaged nets, the compensation has been increased to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000.

The official press release gave details of the precautionary measures taken by the government on the basis of the weather forecast on Cyclone Michaung like keeping the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force in preparedness, besides equipment like motors, pump sets, boats and JCB machines for relief operations.

Besides 20 Ministers and 50 IAS officers, over 4000 electricity department staff, over 2000 medical professionals, thousands of sanitary workers were in the field for rescue and relief work, it said adding that 740 boats were pressed into service by the rescue teams that transported 26,000 persons to safety from flood situations.

Special officers were appointed to ensure distribution of food that was prepared in kitchens in Chennai till December 8 and supplied to victims 3 times a day. The food packets distributed was 47 lakh in Chennai and 51 lakh in all the four affected districts.