Thiruvananthapuram: The Central team visiting Cyclone Ockhi hit areas in the state on Wednesday sanctioned Rs133 crore as the first instalment of financial assistance. The leader and additional secretary disaster management under MHA, Bipin Bihari Mallick, said the amount sanctioned is part of the financial assistance of Rs 422 crore demanded by the state government.
Centre gives Rs 133 crore for Ockhi relief
He was speaking to media persons after meeting Ockhi affected fisher families in Vizhinjam. He said the search operations for the missing fishermen would continue. Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force have not stopped search and rescue operations, he said.
A large number of people including women and children gathered at Vizhinjam area ahead of the central team’s visit. They included family members of fishers who lost their lives and the missing. The coastal people conveyed their strong resentment over the failure of the government to trace the missing men. They pointed out that the wait for their near and dear ones was nearing a month. Had the authorities concerned intervened in time many lives could have been saved.
The local people told the central team that intensive search and rescue operations began only three days after the cyclone had hit. By that time many people had lost their lives. It was fishermen who on their own rescued many of their colleagues. With the protests growing louder, a section of local leaders intervened to calm them down. Many affected families told the central team that they wanted their near and dear ones back safe.
Mr Mallick who listened to the grievances of the families said he had come to share their grief and to assess the loss suffered by them. The local people hoped that being the representative of the Centre, he would convey their grievances and protests to the authorities in Delhi. After Vizhinjam, the central team visited Adimalathura and Poovar. Mr Malick also went to medical college hospital and general hospital to inquire about the condition of the injured who are under treatment.
Meanwhile, the other team led by central fisheries assistant commissioner Dr Sanjay Pandey visited Vettucaud, Valiyathura and Beemapally. Local MLA M. Vincent and district collector K. Vasuki accompanied them. In New Delhi, Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha that 261 fishermen who went into the sea from Kerala were yet to be traced. She said the cyclone caused maximum damage in Kerala.
Meanwhile, fisheries minister J. Mercy Kutty Amma said in Delhi that only 143 fishermen from Kerala were yet to be traced. She said no one should create false notion about the number of missing fishermen and added that the compensation announced by the Centre was inadequate. The minister was talking to media after meeting union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
