Thiruvananthapuram: Revenue minister E. Chandrashekharan came under criticism from his own party members for the alleged lapses on the part of revenue department in effectively coordinating the rescue and safety operations in connection with Ockhi Cyclone in the state. Sources said the criticism came up at the two- day state council meeting of the party which began at M N Smarakam here on Tuesday. The members who took part in the discussions said there was a failure on the part of the revenue officials in dealing with the crisis. They said the role of revenue department required to be examined.
The party members felt that there was lack of application and timely intervention on the part of the State Disaster Management Authority. They demanded that revenue department should act in a more proactive manner in such situations. The absence of the minister in affected areas, rescue and relief operations in coastal areas during the initial days after the cyclone was also criticised.
