THOOTHUKUDI: A few days after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the flood-affected districts of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, VCK MP Thirumavalavan condemned her for not distributing welfare assistance to the people. The parliamentarian visited the districts for two days, and conducted a review meeting in Thoothukudi.
Speaking to reporters, Thirumavalavan came down heavily on Sitharaman, who he said neither visited the worst-affected areas of Eral and Kayalpattinam, nor did she distribute any welfare assistance to those affected in Thoothukudi. "The BJP has not even arranged for the distribution of welfare in Thoothukudi despite the country's finance minister visiting the district. It shows their mentality towards people in distress," he said.
Thirumavalavan called Sitharaman's remarks, declaring the calamity not a national disaster even before visiting the flood-affected areas, a rhetoric, which showed her high-handedness, he said. Noting that 15 districts in total in the state, including 11 districts around Chennai and four districts in south TN were ravaged by torrential rain in December, he lauded the state government's efforts on quick restoration in the face of the gravity of damage to infrastructure.
Even after Chief Minister M K Stalin apprised the Prime Minister of damages to the tune of `21,000 crore, the union government released funds pending that were for the state disaster management department, the minister alleged, and added that the Centre was reluctant to sanction special grants for restoration works and relief. "Such a huge loss cannot be borne by the state government alone," he said.
Calling the compensation announced for crop damage peanuts, Thirumavalavan further said that the Centre should allocate `25,000 per acre in addition to special grants. The VCK, he said, has postponed the agitation seeking `21,000 crore, to January 4, following the death of actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth.