TIRUVARUR: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the state government has already written to the Centre to send a team to assess the damages caused by the heavy rains due to Cyclone Burevi and release funds as compensation to affected farmers and others.
Talking to reporters at Thennavarayanallur in Tiruvarur district after inspecting the damages caused by the heavy rains during Cyclone Burevi in the district, he said paddy in 53,063 hectares, other crops in 13,250 hectares and plantain in 561 hectares were affected.
"The district administration has been instructed to also include any affected areas that were left out and send a report to the government," he added. The Chief Minister also assured that schemes would be designed to avoid rainwater stagnation in the delta areas due to heavy rains.
Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said the state government would oppose any projects that affect the farmers and at the same time welcome measures that help the farmers. He said as the farm laws enacted by the Centre would help the farmers of Tamil Nadu, the government had welcomed it.
To another question, he replied that the Salem-Chennai eight lane road project is a central government project and the state government is only helping in acquisition of land for the project. He justified the project saying it would reduce the running time and accommodate increasing traffic.
Earlier, in his first stop at Tiruvarur district, the Chief Minister inspected the samba paddy crop submerged in a field in Kokkaladi village. He took the paddy crop plucked by the farmers from the field and inspected its condition. Responding to the Chief Minister's query, the farmers said the paddy variety cultivated in the field was CR1009.
Later, the Chief Minister stopped at Pamani village and inspected the crops submerged in rainwater. At a relief camp set up at the Sairam school in Tiruthuraipoondi, the Chief Minister distributed relief material to people affected by the rain. He also served food to those accommodated at the camp.
He also inspected the crops affected in other villages including Kachanam and inspected the damaged huts in Kuvalakkal village. The Chief Minister was accompanied by K P Anbazhagan, the agriculture minister, and R Kamaraj, the food minister.