PUDUCHERRY: Leader of Opposition V Vaithilingam along with Congress MLAs, on Friday, demanded immediate announcement of relief by the government for the affected farmers, fishermen and people whose houses were damaged during cyclone Thane. Briefing newsmen at a press conference along with MLAs K Lakshminarayanan, A Namassivayam and C Jayakumar, Vaithilingam said that people had been badly affected and were looking up to the government for relief but it had not even assessed the damage as yet. Vaithilingam said that basic relief was immediately required and should be provided without waiting for funds from the centre. The distribution of Rs 2000 per ration card holder was not enough and each affected section should be compensated separately, he said, and added that funds from the local government should be utilised. “When a person is sick you do not wait for reimbursement for treatment, rather you spend your own money and take the patient for treatment. Later you will get the reimbursement,” said VaithilingamThat is exactly what the Tamil Nadu government had done, he said, and added that it not only announced the relief much earlier, but also started distribution. The announcement of interim relief by Central government was a process and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram who visited Puducherry and Tamil Nadu could not do so, said Vaithilingam. Replying to a question, he said that if the government invited, then Congress MLAs were ready to go and approach Central Government for adequate relief.Vaithilingam said that government should provide Rs 20,000 for fully damaged houses and Rs 10,000 for partly damaged houses. For crop damage the government should provide Rs 20,000 per acre for paddy, Rs 50,000 per acre for banana. Similarly for the loss of a cow Rs 20,000 should be given and Rs 5,000 for a goat. Besides the government should reconstruct the damaged houses of people living in vulnerable area, he said.The relief of Rs 2000 per family provided to Puducherry region should be extended to Karaikal region also. As the coastal water had come in and erosion was affecting the beach, a sea wall should be constructed to protect the coast.Vaithilingam further criticised the Rangasamy government for not taking measures when the cyclone was predicted. He said that for three days people had gone without food , water and electricity. There was no adequate diesel to operate the generators for running the water pumps, he said, and added that the central kitchens were not activated either.
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