THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A UDF delegation on Monday submitted a memorandum to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding an economic package for cyclone-hit fishers, even as former chief minister Oommen Chandy visited Thumpa and other coastal areas here for the second time and heard their woes. Congress legislators K. Muraleedharan, M. Vincent and K. S. Sabarinadhan and RSP leaders N. K. Premachandran MP and Shibu Baby John, called on Ms Sitharaman at the Air Force technical area.
Mr Muraleedharan also accompanied Mr Chandy along with V. S. Sivakumar, MLA, and DCC president Neyyattinkara Sanal. They first visited Thumpa where six men are missing, followed by Vettucaud, Valiyathura, Cheriyathura and Vizhinjam. Mr Chandy listened to their woes patiently and was seen jotting down names of those missing since Wednesday. He visited the house of Thomas, one of the missing fishermen in Thumpa. He said it was unfortunate that the state government did nothing to alleviate fears of their families.
“I had not criticised the LDF government when I came here first on Friday. Unfortunately, the lax is continuing on the fifth day since the cyclone hit the Kerala coast. It is high time the government woke up from its slumber,” he said. He also lamented that it was the failure of the government that worsened their plight. It was altogether a sober mood when families vied each other to share their woes with the Congress leader. The team also visited the rehabilitation centre at Poonthura where women vent their ire against the LDF government. Before leaving the coastal areas, Mr Chandy offered all help to them in retrieving the missing.
