Tamil Nadu: CM Stalin announces relief to rain victims

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin, who personally visited rain ravaged places, announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to those who lost their loved ones in the disaster brought about by Cyclone Fengal, Rs 2000 to each of the families whose livelihood was affected due to continuous water logging in their localities for two days, Rs 10,000 for huts that were damaged and a slew of such relief to the affected people in the districts of Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore.

Ahead of a consultative meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday to provide relief to victims of the unprecedented rains under the influence of Cyclone Fengal since November 30, Stalin appraised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the efforts made by the State government to provide relief to the affected people.

The Chief Minister reiterated his demand made through his letter on Monday for a relief of Rs 20,000 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund and for dispatching the Central team to make its assessment of the damages caused by the cyclone immediately to the Prime Minister and hoped that the State’s demands would be favorably considered, he said in a message on his X page.

After having discussions with the Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and other State Ministers who were in various districts overseeing the relief operations, the Chief MInister announced that relief for the affected areas of Tiruvannamalai and Dharmapuri districts would be decided once the Collectors sent in their reports.

Those who lost their huts totally in the rains in Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore districts would be given preference in the Kalignar Dream House scheme to construct their own dwellings, farmers who suffered more than 33 per cent loss to their paddy and such irrigated crops would get a compensation of Rs 17,000 per hectare while for perennial crops and trees it would be Rs 22,500 per hectare and for dry crops Rs 85,000 per hectare.

The compensation for loss of livestock like bulls and cows would be Rs 37,500 and for goats and sheep Rs 4000, he announced, adding that special camps would be set up to issue identity cards and certificates and students would be given new textbooks and notebooks.

Stalin said that most of the standing crops in northern districts were damaged by the heavy rains, besides damaging roads, bridges, electricity posts, transformers, public buildings and relief operations were being carried out.