Pondy seeks Rs. 56-cr. Central assistance for cyclone relief

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, DEC. 7. The Pondicherry Chief Minister, Mr. P. Shanmugham, told the Assembly that Rs. 56 crores had been sought from the Centre towards relief and rehabilitation works in the wake of ravages caused by last week's cyclone in Pondicherry.

He said 11,000 hectares of paddy fields and crops such as sugarcane, coconut trees and bananas had been lost in the cyclone. He said that without losing time he visited the affected villages and saw for himself the extent of loss and sufferings of the people. Ten kg of rice was being distributed to the poor and there was no room for any discrimination or political overtones in implementing relief works.

Mr. Shanmugham requested the Opposition to extend full cooperation in the efforts of the Administration to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

He said the government machinery put in efforts on a war-footing and assessed the impact of the cyclone. Already the Chief Secretary and the District Collector had rushed to Delhi to contact the Ministries concerned. He would fly to Delhi day after tomorrow to meet the Union Agriculture Minister and other Ministers to seek Central assistance.

Mr. Shanmugham recalled how in the past, except on the occasion of the Yanam cyclone in 1996, there was no Central assistance for managing the fury of nature. His government was putting in its maximum efforts to ensure that the people were not left high and dry. He denied the allegation of the Opposition that the government machinery was lethargic.

Earlier, members belonging to the ruling block commended the swift action taken by the government departments including the power sector for restoring power supply without loss of time. The Opposition members belonging to the DMK charged the Government with having failed the people as, although nine days had passed by since the cyclone hit Pondicherry, no relief work had been taken up. The members wanted the Chief Minister to take the MLAs concerned along with him whenever he visited the affected areas.

When the Opposition members wanted the Chief Minister to announce what was the assistance that had been contemplated, Mr. Shanmugham said his government would not be lagging in extending the assistance and would do better than the previous regimes. He said he would only seek members' cooperation in the context of relief works.

House adjourned sine die

After the Chief Minister presented the replies, the Speaker, Mr. A. V. Subramanian, adjourned the House sine die. The winter session of the House was held for two days since Wednesday.

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