Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) leader G.K. Vasan on Sunday urged the Centre to declare the districts ravaged by Cyclone Gaja as disaster-hit areas.
The people of the cyclone-affected districts had lost everything, Mr. Vasan told mediapersons at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district after flagging off relief materials worth ₹35 lakh.
‘Waive loans’
The Centre and the State government should carry out a proper damage assessment and provide financial assistance to the affected people to help them reclaim their livelihood. Loans obtained by farmers in cyclone-hit districts should be waived, the TMC leader said.
The Central team’s three-day tour of cyclone-affected districts wouldn’t serve any purpose. The Centre should have deputed a team for each affected district instead, he added.
Mr. Vasan slammed the State government for not having conducted the elections to the local bodies, pointing out that had the polls been conducted in time, the damage assessment could have been carried out expeditiously, paving the way for a clearer picture of the damage to emerge.