TIRUNELVELI: Even as the government kick-started the disbursal of flood relief on Friday, residents of some villages in Tirunelveli, including Irukkandurai, Marukalkurichi and Anaikudi, staged a protest over the distribution of Rs 1,000 to them, while some other villages received Rs 6,000.
According to the district administration, the state government allotted Rs 220.76 crore as relief fund for ration card holders. “Residents of Ambasamudram, Cheranmahadevi, Tirunelveli, and Palayamkottai taluks; that of worst-hit areas like Levinchipuram, Chettikulam, Kudankulam, Vijayapathi and Thiruvambalapuram revenue villages of Radhapuram taluk; revenue villages Thisayanvilai, Appuvilai, Urumankulam, Karaisuthu, Pudur, Karaisuthu Uvari, and Kuttam of Thisayanvilai taluk, will get Rs 6,000.
The residents of the remaining villages will receive Rs 1,000,” read a statement. The disbursal was overseen by District Monitoring Officer R Selvaraj, who inspected various ration shops across the district earlier in the day. Meanwhile, residents of Irukkandurai, Marukalkurichi, and Anaikudi refused to receive Rs 1,000. Demanding Rs 6,000, they staged a protest.
Flood relief was distributed to 5,37825 family card holders across 10 taluks in Thoothukudi. The state government had allotted Rs 215 crore, which will be distributed through 957 PDS shops. While distributing relief at Toovipuram, Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said that 3,23,108 ration card holders in Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Srivaikuntam, Eral and Sathankulam will get Rs 6,000 compensation and five kg rice through 508 PDS shops, while 2,14,717 family-card holders in Kovilpatti, Vilathikulam, Ettayapuram, Ottapidaram, and Kayathar taluks will get Rs 1,000 through 449 PDS shops. Meanwhile, Tharuvaikulam people blocked ECR on Friday, condemning the disbursal of Rs 1,000 to each family in the village, after announcing Rs 6,000 per family card.
Govt declares flood, cyclone hit dists
Chennai: The state government has issued declaring Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram as cyclone-affected districts; and Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts as flood-affected districts. The government order, dated December 29, said this has been done based on the recommendations from the revenue administration and state relief commissioner. In spite of the best efforts and advance preparedness by the state, the enormity of the unprecedented rain has caused extensive damage to micro, medium and small enterprises, ravaged the economy of fishermen, crippled power, transport infrastructure, agricultural and horticultural crops and seriously affecting the livelihood of lakhs of people, the order said. In affected southern districts, rain caused loss of human lives, cattle and also heavy damage to houses, agricultural/horticultural crops, public infrastructure like roads, bridges, power and water supply. Many poor and daily wage earners have lost their livelihood completely, it added.