TN flood assistance funds were declined by the center: CM
Chief Minister MK Stalin made a jab at the union government’s failure to provide funding for flood relief and restoration projects in the state on Sunday, stating that the DMK administration would continue to serve the people by getting beyond any obstacles presented by the Center. Speaking during the distribution ceremony for flood relief along the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli National Highway in Soosaipandiyapuram, Stalin claimed that the DMK administration was responsible for funding the relief efforts after the December 2023 floods.
“Despite our requests for `37,000 crore to alleviate the crisis caused by two horrific tragedies, the union government did not provide a single dime in support. As general elections are quickly approaching, the Centre and the union finance minister chose to keep silent when they had to ask for votes in Tamil Nadu, according to Stalin.
“The union minister smugly advises us to handle the problem if we are competent when we challenge their action. Stalin said, “This does not reflect well on the position she occupies. The state of Tamil Nadu, which is a pioneer in the nation, has been leading in a number of fields, and international businesses are still flocking to the state to establish factories.
The chief minister gave relief of Rs 423.95 crore to 2,21,815 flood victims from the districts of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli. It includes help of Rs 118.87 crore for 38,514 victims in Tirunelveli and Rs 305.08 crore for 1,83,301 sufferers in Thoothukudi.
Stalin also provided a list of some of the repair projects completed in Thoothukudi, stating that 288 locations had their canals, tanks, and anaicuts broken by floods; these were temporarily fixed at a cost of Rs 66.45 crore on a war footing, and an additional 145.58 crore had been set aside for permanent restoration. At a cost of Rs 27.68 crore, waterbodies in Tirunelveli that had breakdowns at 802 locations were fixed, and Rs 15.93 crore has been set aside for long-term rehabilitation. He said that the cost of restoring damaged roads is Rs 343 crore.
“The state government has allocated Rs 382.25 crore to provide victims assistance of Rs 6,000, Rs 34.74 crore for livestock loss, and Rs 5 lakh each to the families of 58 persons who perished in the floods. Additionally, compensation for the homes destroyed by the floods in both districts totaling Rs 9.35 crore was given out, and monies sanctioned for house renovations (Rs 4 lakh for entirely damaged homes and Rs 2 lakh for partially damaged homes) benefited 4,624 households, he said.
The government has released over Rs 666.36 crore in an effort to provide financial support to flood-affected farmers, fishermen, small businesses, self-help groups, and traders. On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation, over 670 MSME industries in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi have been granted a Rs 18 crore credit, with a 6% interest subvention, to recapitalize their business ventures.
Parliamentarian Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, district collectors G Lakshmipathy and Karthikeyan, ministers KKSSR Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu, Geetha Jeevan, Anitha R Radhakrishnan, Rajakannappan, and Mano Thangaraj were present at the ceremony.
