Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday is visiting cyclone Ockhi-hit Lakshadweep, Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram to review relief operations.
The cyclone left a trail of destruction late last month and early this month.
Mr. Modi will meet officials and public representatives as well as the cyclone victims, including fishermen and farmers’ delegations.
Mr. Modi first arrived in Lakshadweep on a special military aircraft from Mangaluru on Tuesday morning after a stay in the Karnataka city on December 18 night.
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Mr. Modi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday noon on a five-hour visit to assess the loss of lives and property caused by Cyclone Ockhi.
Mr. Mod arrived by the Air Force plane at the airport around 1.30 p.m. He was received by Kerala Governor P. Sadasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his Cabinet colleagues, Union Minister for Tourism K.J. Alphons, MPs Suresh Gopi and Richard Hay, Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham, State Police Chief and DGP Loknath Behra, Mayor V.K. Prasanth and other top military, civil and police officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives by a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, in Kerala on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Anil Radhakrishnan
The Prime Minister is accompanied by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Pon. Radhakrishnan and other officials.
Mr. Modi left in a helicopter from the technical base of the IAF at Sanghumughom by 1.45 p.m. to adjoining Kanyakumari district. He will lreturn to Thiruvananthapuram from Kanyakumari by 4.30 p.m. and visit the coastal hamlet of Poonthura to meet the cyclone-affected.
On his arrival back, he will also hold discussions with Mr. Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues on the rehabilitation and relief measures at the Government Guest House in Thycaud. He will also meet representatives of church, State BJP leaders before flying back to Delhi by 6.40 p.m.
- Reports Anil Radhakrishnan from Thiruvananthapuram
Chairs meeting in Kavaratti
Earlier in the day, Mr. Modi chaired a high-level meeting at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep to review the cyclone relief operations.
Mr. Mod was received by top officials of the Lakshadweep administration and public representatives, including Lakshadweep MP Muhammed Faizal.
“PM @narendramodi reviewed the situation arising due to #CycloneOckhi at a high-level meeting in Lakshadweep,” a tweet by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Another tweet said youngsters of Lakshadweep extended a warm welcome to the Prime Minister.
Funds released
The Prime Minister has been constantly monitoring the situation arising out of the natural calamity in the southern parts of the country.
A PMO statement on December 18 said the Centre released the second instalment from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for Kerala and Tamil Nadu to supplement the efforts of these States in dealing with the situation.
“During financial year 2017-18, the amounts of the central share of the SDRF to the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were ₹ 153 crore and ₹ 561 crore respectively,” it said.
Modi in Mangaluru
In Mangaluru, people gathered in good numbers at the airport to receive Mr. Modi on Monday night.
Just after arrival, as he moved out of the airport in a motorcade, the Prime Minister asked his vehicle driver to stop it, got out and waved at the people, who stood along the barricade.
There was some commotion as people tried to climb the barricades to have a closer look at him. Policemen, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Uma Prashant, managed to hold the barricades to prevent any untoward incident.
The Prime Minister was taken to the heavily guarded circuit house where he spent the night.
Mr. Modi was received by Mr. Pon. Radhakrishnan, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Sentil S. and Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelamani S. Raju.
- Reports M. Raghavan from Mangaluru
(With inputs from news agencies)