TIRUVANNAMALAI/ ARIYALUR: Opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami visited Tiruvannamalai district to meet the families of those killed in the a recent landslide. Offering his condolences, he handed over Rs 1 lakh to each of the seven bereaved families. Palaniswami also inspected the Rs 16-crore flyover across the Thenpennai River, which collapsed last week due to heavy flooding caused by Cyclone Fengal.
Addressing reporters, Palaniswami criticised the government for poor work quality, while claiming that none of the bridges built during the AIADMK regime got damaged by floods.
He also accused the DMK government of negligence, stating the uncontrolled release of excess water from the Sathanur dam without prior warning exacerbated the flood damage.
Palaniswami expressed dissatisfaction with the union government’s response to disaster relief. “When Rs 1,000 crore is requested, the centre provides only Rs 10 crore. This has been the case irrespective of which party is in power, even when the DMK was part of the central coalition,” he remarked.
Taking part in a marriage in Ariyalur, Palaniswami said CM MK Stalin’s remarks that no welfare scheme has been implemented during the AIADMK regime is reprehensible. Stalin is renaming welfare schemes of the AIADMK and passing it off as the incumbent’s, he added.