PRESS RELEASE

Relief works undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu

Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Selvi J Jayalalithaa met the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri Shivraj V. Patil at the Raj Bhavan today (27.12.2004).

Hon’ble Union Home Minister expressed his appreciation of the relief works undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu on a war footing under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Selvi J Jayalalithaa.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister gave the details of the death toll and the devastation wrought by the tidal waves in the affected districts of Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kanniyakumari, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram. The Hon’ble Chief Minister indicated that the colossal damage was of an unprecedented magnitude and of rare severity.  The devastation was colossal. The entire administration had been pressed into action to take up search, rescue and relief operations.  

The Hon’ble Union Home Minister assured continued and full support of the Government of India for all the rescue and relief operations undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu.  The Hon’ble Chief Minister made a specific request for assistance to clear the debris at various locations in Nagapattinam District and to locate dead bodies.  The Hon’ble Chief Minister also requested support to rescue people in marooned villages in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore Districts.  The Hon’ble Union Home Minister assured that the support would be provided today itself.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister also indicated that given the extent of colossal damage of an unprecedented nature, a special package has to be worked out after a detailed survey which will be undertaken immediately.  The Hon’ble Union Home Minister assured that given the nature of the rare severity of the occurrence and extent of damage, a special package would be worked out. 

The Hon’ble Chief Minister made a specific mention of the extreme suffering of the fishermen who had lost their boats, houses and all their belongings. The Hon’ble Chief Minister stated that their rehabilitation cannot be undertaken under the usual norms of the Calamity Relief Fund.  The Hon’ble Chief Minister indicated that a special package will have to be worked out.  The Hon’ble Chief Minister also indicated that the Government of India should establish a Tsunami Warning System which could give some advance notice of such occurrences.  This will help early evacuation measures to be undertaken by the State Government. 

The Hon’ble Chief Minister was accompanied by Thiru O. Panneerselvam, Minister for Public Works, Prohibition & Excise and Revenue, Thiru C. Ponnaiyan, Minister for Finance, Tmt. Lakshmi Pranesh, Chief Secretary, Thiru N. Narayanan, Development Commissioner & Principal Secretary, Finance, Thiru R. Santhanam, Special Commissioner & Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Thiru T. Pitchandi, Secretary, Public Department, Thiru I.K. Govind, Director General of Police, Thiru M.P. Vijayakumar, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai and Thiru R. Nataraj, Commissioner of Police, Chennai.

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Thiru S. Regupathy and the Union Minister of State for Finance, Thiru S.S. Palanimanickam were also present during the meeting. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes.