CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a slew of steps to help the cyclone-hit fishermen in South Tamil Nadu, including payment of Rs 5 lakh as alternative livelihood assistance and Rs 50,000 as treatment costs to the severely wounded. He had earlier announced Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia to each of the families of the fishermen who died in the cyclone. Now, the sum has been enhanced.
A sum of Rs 2,500 subsistence allowance for all fishermen families who lost their livelihood and Rs 5,000 for families of missing fishermen in Kanniyakumari district were also announced.
In order to help the stranded fishermen return home, the Tamil Nadu government will provide 1,000 litres of fuel per boat and Rs 2,000 feeding charges per fisherman who were trapped in Gujarat, Maharashatra and Lakshadweep island while those stranded in
Karnataka and Kerala would be given 750 litres of fuel and Rs 2000. This will apply for mechanised boats while country boats would be provided with 200 litre fuel. These announcements came after a high level meeting the chief minister had with government authorities in the evening.
He said an official committee, headed by Commissioner for Revenue Administration (CRA) would be constituted to prepare a detailed report on missing fishermen. The compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be given to the families of missing persons too.
Palaniswami also said that another committee under the chairmanship of CRA would assess the damage caused by the cyclone and fix the compensation for the affected people and necessary changes would be made in the procedure to enable distribution of the doles. He promised that search operations would last until all the missing fishermen are trace