Chennai: Opposition DMK on Wednesday petitioned Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit asking him to take steps to declare Cyclone Ockhi that left trail of destruction in Kanniyakumari district as a “national calamity.” A delegation led by the party’s working president M K Stalin also demanded that search and rescue operation for missing fishermen should be expedited.
In a memorandum submitted to Purohit, the DMK alleged that the government led by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami failed to attach importance to the search and rescue operations for the missing fishermen from the state after the devastating cyclone hit the Kanyakumari coast on November 30.
Stalin accused the chief minister, his deputy O Panneerselvam and senior state government officials of making contradictory statements on the number of missing and stranded fishermen as it had no true account in this regard. “The state administration has grossly failed to wake up and quickly respond to the emerging situation,” the memorandum submitted by Stalin alleged.
The party appealed to the Governor to urge the Centre to ensure immediate deployment of more Naval helicopters and ships for a massive rescue operation in deep sea to “trace thousands of fishermen missing.”
It also requested Purohit to appraise the Home Ministry of the situation and prevail upon it to declare the cyclone as a national calamity. Later, speaking to reporters, Stalin said Purohit has assured him that he would ‘forward’ the memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also said the Governor recalled his meeting with affected persons in Kanyakumari recently. Purohit also told them he had taken up the matter with Finance minister Arun Jaitley, Home minister Rajnath Singh and Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman during his two-day Delhi visit that ended yesterday, Stalin said.
Govt hikes compensation for victims of non-fishermen community
Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday increased compensation to families of persons not belonging to fishermen community, killed in cyclone Ockhi in Kanniyakumari district to Rs 10 lakh.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the sum was being revised from '4lakh to '10 lakh after pleas to him at a review meeting during his visit to Kanyakumari yesterday, seeking an increase in the amount.
“The sum will be given from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund,” he added.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of fishermen who died in the cyclone that devastated the coastal areas of the state recently. The government had earlier announced Rs 10 lakh for them.
