Ignoring the plea of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the union home ministry officials to release Rs 939.63 crore immediately to Tamil Nadu to help the state deal with the situation arising out of floods in November.
Andhra Pradesh has also been ravaged by the same cyclone and floods during the same time in the past three weeks. The state is already severely affected by the drought and is finding it difficult to the meet the expenditure on the drought relief work. During the present cyclone, Chittoor and Nellore districts have been hit extensively. Chandrababu Naidu personally oversaw the relief operations in Nellore district for two days staying in Nellore. As the flood damage was quite unexpected and large, chief minister Naidu has sought Rs. 1,000 crore as advance for immediate relief and restoration activities.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Thursday the CM stated that as per tentative estimates, the total loss in various categories came to Rs.3,000 crore and that he would send the final report after detailed enumeration in a few days.
Detailing the extensive damage caused due to rain from November 9 to 19, he sought generous financial assistance from the Centre to take up rehabilitation and reconstruction measures. But, there has been no response. Today, union minister Venkaiah Naidu assured that centre would definitely help the state once the centre received the final report.
But, without waiting for any report the same centre released today a whopping Rs 939 crore to Tamil Nadu.
The fund was sanctioned in response to the request of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, a central team is also being deputed to Tamil Nadu to assess the damages and further action will be taken after the team submits its report.
Earlier, a letter from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu enclosing a detailed memorandum on flood damages was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office by a delegation led by S.T.K. Jakkayan, Special Representative of Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu has sought urgent financial assistance from the Centre and has also asked for a central team to be deputed immediately to make an on-the-spot assessment of damages.
