Cyclone Gaja: Modi has promised to send central team to TN to assess damage, CM says after meeting with PM

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured to depute a central team to cyclone-affected districts of Tamil Nadu to assess damage, for sanctioning relief as sought by the state government.
Palaniswami submitted a memorandum to Modi at the latter’s residence in New Delhi, urging the Centre to sanction Rs 15,000 crore for permanent restoration.

He also urged Modi to release Rs 1,500 crore towards temporary relief and restoration. “Several districts have been affected extensively due to cyclone Gaja. I apprised the Prime Minister the damage and requested him to sanction the relief amount,” Palaniswami told reporters in New Delhi.

The chief minister said the damage due to the disaster had been minimised thanks to the precautionary measures taken by his government. At least 82,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas and housed in relief centres, and ministers were told to stay in the districts to take up precautionary steps.

“I had held meetings with officials and ministers ahead of the cyclone (landfall of cyclone). Senior IAS officers were sent as monitoring officers to the designated districts to take up the work,” Palaniswami said.

The memorandum said the state government required Rs 7,077 crore for permanent restoration work by energy department, given the large-scale damage to power infrastructure. Reconstruction of huts and houses are estimated to cost Rs 6,000 crore, while Rs 625 crore has been estimated for agriculture and horticulture crops.

State highways requires Rs 378 crore for permanent restoration, and rural development Rs 425 crore. Fisheries and public works department estimate Rs 100 crore and Rs 120 crore is required to take up permanent restoration.