Chennai, Dec 25 (UNI) A couple of days after a war of words with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on the relief measures in rain battered southern districts, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman witll visit Thoothukudi district, which bore the brunt of the rain fury last week, on Tuesday.
“Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit flood- affected Thoothukudi on Tuesday, December 26. She will hold a review meeting with the Thoothukudi district administration and visit flood affected areas”, as per the programme details shared by the Minister’s Office on X (formerly Twitter).
Three days back, Ms NIrmala, while addressing the media in New Delhi, alleged that Chief Minister M K Stalin’s government was not prepared in dealing with the heavy downpour.
She also said that 31 people were killed in the four southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari due to rain-related incidents that received un[recedented record rinfall that never witnessed in the past 100 years..
She also disagreed with Mr Stalin’s remarks that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had provided “an inadequate forecast” and also delayed issuing a red alert as torrential rains battered the state.
She also said the Regional Metereological Department in Chennai was one of the most modernised Centre in India and said necessary alert was issued in time.
She also slammed Mr Stalin, saying that as parts of Tamil Nadu were flooded, Mr Stalin was in New Delhi (on December 19) “meeting INDIA bloc leaders rather than overseeing rescue operations”.
She also said the Centre had released the State’s share of Rs 900 crore under SDRF in two installments even before the heavy rains battered the southern districts. The second installment was released ahead of the rains on December 12.
The state government had been stating that the Cenre had only released the SDRF share due to Tamil Nadu and had not released any assistance from the NDRF for rain relief measures.
Countering her remarks, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said she was “apparently unaware” of the extent of the disaster. It was the state government’s proactive measures and prompt relief and rescue operations that had helped averted a tragedy
The State government also urged the Centre to declare the rain disaster as a national calamity and release funds from the NDRF for rescue and relief operations in rain-hit areas.
To this, Ms NIrmala posted “There is no practice of announcing any disaster, in any state, at any time, by any government (of India) as National Disaster.
Since there is a lot of interest in TN, even Tsunami of December 2004 (UPA with partner DMK) was not declared as Natl. Disaster”
Mr Stalin, during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week, submitted a memorandum demanding a permanent Central assistance of Rs 12,659 crore for the rain relief works in Chennai and three neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, which were lashed by massive rains under the influence of several Cyclonic Storm Michaung on December four and five.
In the memorandum, he demanded release of Rs 7,033 crore immediate interim for these districts, besides Rs 2,000 crore funds in the first phase to restore the livelihood of people affected in four southern districts on December 17 and 18.
He said while the Chennai and neighbouring districts had received unprecedented rains in view of the Cyclone that was never witnessed in 47 years, the southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari had received extreme to very extreme rains that was never seen in the last more than 100 years causing extensive damages to various infrastructure facilities.
He also urged Mr Modi to declare the rain calamity in the state as a national disaster.
Mr Stalin also announced a rain relief package of Rs 6,000 for cardholders in Chennai and three districts, and extended it to to the worst affected locations in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts.
He said in other lcoations in these two districts and in Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts, Rs 1,000 would be paid.
He also announced compensation for crop loss to farmers, damages to houses and Rs five lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in rain-related incidents.
