NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced an interim relief of `500 crore to Tamil Nadu and `125 crore to the Union Territory of Puducherry which were affected by cyclone Thane in the last week of December.
The amount of interim relief was arrived at based on preliminary reports of the damage caused by the cyclone, an official release said.
Cyclone Thane, which had reached a speed of 140 km per hour at its fiercest, had pummelled the Tamil Nadu coast and Puducherry on the morning of December 30, leaving several dead and causing untold devastation.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had earlier visited the cyclone-hit areas, and a central government team is currently at these spots, assessing the damage. On the team’s return to Delhi-which is expected this weekend-it will submit a report, based on which the final relief, as may be admissible, will be sanctioned, the official release said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa has sought a relief of `5,249 crore from the Central Government, citing the unprecedented damage that the cyclonic storm had caused to infrastructure, crops and houses in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.