PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N Rangasamy has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to provide immediate relief of Rs 182.45 crore to the Union Territory to help the affected people and to restore infrastructure at the earliest in Puducherry and Karaikal regions.
A break-up of the financial memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister is as follows: Revenue (Ex-gratia and housing damage)-Rs 248.28 lakh; Public Works Department-Rs 12,089 lakh; Power-Rs 314.00 lakh; Municipal Administration-Rs 4,866.00 lakh; Agriculture Rs 720.97 lakh; Animal Husbandry- Rs 7.19 lakh.
Rangasamy has written a similar letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking assistance.
The Chief Minister said the financial memorandum sought assistance of Rs 182.45 crore for relief and reconstruction works, following the damage caused by heavy rain during the ongoing monsoon season. He sought the Prime Minister’s immediate announcement on emergency relief.
He informed Modi that Puducherry experienced very severe rains during the current northeast monsoon with around 90 per cent of the precipitation happening within a short span of a few days. Karaikal region also faced a similar situation, he added.
On account of the heavy and incessant rains due to depression in Bay of Bengal, normal life, standing crops and physical infrastructure were badly affected, he wrote in the letter.
The Government of Puducherry took various precautionary measures to reduce rain damage and also undertook relief measures to provide the necessary succour to the affected people.
Despite the interventions, the heavy downpour has resulted in two rain-related fatalities. Scores of houses were also damaged. Further, it caused heavy damage to public infrastructure such as roads, culverts, buildings, power lines and standing crops of poor farmers, Rangasamy said in the letter.
Meanwhile, N R Congress Lok Sabha member from Puducherry R Radhakrishnan urged Modi and Rajnath to provide rain relief to the Union Territory.
Radhakrishnan put forth the demand, while taking part in the NDA meeting in connection with the Parliament session.
Radhakrishnan, on directions from Rangasamy, had sought rain relief for Puducherry and the Prime Minister had agreed to provide assistance once a report on the damages from Puducherry was received.