Tiruchy: Kamal shepherds Rs 1.20 crore worth relief materials to Gaja-hit areas

Tiruchy: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, president of ‘Makkal Needhi Maiam’ (MNM) reached out to people affected by ‘Gaja cyclone with relief materials worth Rs 1.2 crore loaded into 70 trucks from various districts on Thursday.

He inspected the lorries with relief materials which came from various districts like Erode, Coimbatore, Tirupur-almost all districts in Tamil Nadu to Thanjavur and gave advice to drivers on how to reach the materials to the people. Later, he accompanied the trucks to the cyclone-affected areas in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.

He told presspersons before the lorries and vans left, that ‘Gaja’ cyclone should be declared as a national disaster. “Damages are more than we expected. This should be viewed as a national disaster,” he said.

“We came to know that the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. It would have been apt if he had made a thorough assessment of the damages before meeting prime minister. Then only he can give a correct appraisal to the Prime Minister and seek necessary financial assistance. If there is a paucity after getting the assistance, it would be a problem. Appraisal should be accurate,” the MNM leader elaborated.

Kamal Haasan said that his party, the MNM, is ready to join hands with anyone, irrespective of party lines, to help people in this hour of crisis. We receive complaints that officials have not visited many villages. They should do it. He also said that ' 60 lakh worth of materials were collected before this relief consignment and have been distributed.

AT TIRUCHY:

Later speaking to reporters at Tiruchy en route to Nagapattinam and other cyclone affected areas, Kamal Haasan reiterated that the Chief Minister, Sri Edappadi K Palaniswami should have met the Prime Minister only after a “fully survey” of the cyclone-hit districts.

Urging the Tamil Nadu government to at least double the compensation amount to families who have lost their dear members to the cyclone fury, he also called upon the Central government to declare the ‘Gaja’ cyclone aftermath as ‘national disaster’.

The compensation announced for coconut farmers was meagre, he pointed out.

Calling for creating adequate awareness about issues like climate change, global warming and its impact on our environment, Kamal Haasan to a question said, if opposition parties wished to take up relief and rehabilitation activities in the cyclone-hit areas united, “I am also ready to join with them.”