CHENNAI: The State government on Thursday sought Rs 14,910 crore as financial assistance from the Centre to undertake permanent restoration and mitigation works in the districts affected by Cyclone Gaja. It sought an immediate assistance of Rs 1,431 crore for the ongoing temporary restoration works.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami submitted a detailed memorandum in this regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi and explained that the cyclone had devastated 12 districts, including the delta districts which were worst affected.
The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. Subsequently, a six member-Central team led by Daniel E Richard, Joint Secretary, Union Home Affairs, was deputed to assess the damage caused by the cyclone. Talking to reporters at New Delhi ahead of his departure to Chennai, the CM said the team would be in Tamil Nadu for three days.
Officials said the team will arrive in Chennai on Friday evening. According to the memorandum submitted by the CM, of the total assistance sought for permanent works, a whopping Rs 7,077 crore has been allocated for TANGEDCO, followed by Rs 6,000 crore for relief to be given to huts/house damaged and Rs 625 crore for agricultural and horticultural crops damaged. Of the immediate relief of Rs 1,431 crore sought, the CM has urged the Centre to give Rs 685 crore for TANGEDCO alone.
Financial assistance for permanent works was also sought with Rs 425 crore for Rural Development, Rs 378 crore for State highways, Rs150 crore for Animal Husbandry, Rs 120 crore for PWD - Water Resources, Rs 100 crore for Fisheries, Rs 30 crore for town panchayats and Rs 5 crore for municipalities.
According to the CM, the death toll had risen to 63 people in 12 districts while 2,78, 824 huts, 62,996 tiled houses and 3,41,820 houses had been damaged. As many as 12,298 cattle, 92,507 birds had died and 11,32,686 trees had fallen.
A staggering 1,03,508 electric poles, 181 substations and 886 transformers were damaged. While coconut trees in over 30,000 hectares and horticultural crops in 88.102 hectares were damaged, paddy in 32,706 hectares has been affected.
While 40 per cent of the electric poles have been replaced, 147 substations have been repaired. Of the 53,21,506 power connections disconnected, the power supply to 40,04,452 has been restored. Water supply has been restored in 184 municipalities and 252 town panchayats. Of the 8,522 village panchayats where water supply was affected, it has been restored in 7,952 panchayats.
