Edappadi K Palaniswami to meet PM tomorrow to seek ₹13,000 crore cyclone Gaja aid

CHENNAI : Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will meet Prime Minister Modi on Thursday morning in New Delhi to seek central assistance for cyclone relief work. Authorities estimated the requirement to be around ₹13,000 crore for temporary and permanent restoration work in the Gaja-hit districts in central and coastal Tamil Nadu, sources said.

Power infrastructure tops the list with estimates tentatively fixed at ₹5,000 crore. “The government wants to replace overhead cables with underground cables in the district headquarters of Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur. The other major requirements are in sectors like housing, agriculture and horticulture. A special assistance scheme for coconut farmers will be sought,” said a senior official. Several hectares of coconut farms had been wiped out.

The CM, who will be accompanied by chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan during his Delhi visit, is expected to ask for additional allocation under the Centre’s housing programmes as 2.51 lakh people are taking shelter in relief camps after cyclone damaged their huts and houses. On Monday, the CM sanctioned ₹1,000 crore for relief work, extending compensation for loss of cattle, poultry, damaged crops and fishing boats.