CHENNAI: The State government has increased the compensation given to the families of those who lost their lives in the recent rains caused by cyclone Nisha from Rs1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in deference to the wishes of the Opposition leaders in TN.
This was revealed by DMK president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who chaired the meeting of the Collectors from 12 districts - Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Ramanathapuram, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai - which bore the brunt of heavy rains, at the Secretariat on Sunday.
The floods have taken a toll of 189 persons and 4997 heads of cattle, according to official figures.
The Chief Minister made a fervent plea to the Collectors and the officials to expedite all flood relief works before December 10 and adopt complete transparency while distributing relief to the kin of those who had lost their lives and the farmers who had lost their heads of cattle .
He also wanted the officials to make the relief money available to the affected people before December 15 in the form of cash instead of cheque and demand drafts so that the beneficiary would have the feeling and happiness of getting the amount from the government on time.He further directed the officials to make an assessment of damage to the crops in the rain-hit districts and prepare the compensation package to the farmers before December 31.
The Chief Minister, calling for a thorough change in the attitude of the officials, who always showed up only when there was a calamity, wanted them to find some permanent solutions to natural disasters by formulating schemes that could have a bearing on the community and environment.
He said the sub-committee on flood relief works headed by Local Administration Minister M K Stalin would also look into the aspects of formulating permanent schemes for tackling natural disasters after getting suggestions from the district administrators and experts from various fields.
CENTRAL TEAM ARRIVES : The Central team headed by K Skandan, joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, arrived in Chennai on Sunday night to assess the extent of damage to life and property in the flood-affected districts in the State and submit a report to the Union Government as early as possible.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister M Karuanidhi, in a press release, exhorted the Collectors and other officials of the 12 rain-affected districts to coordinate with the team and make its assessment work more meaningful and rewarding.