Centre never gave relief funds to Tamil Nadu in the past: AIADMK's Palaniswami

Tamil Nadu's plight remains unchanged irrespective of the parties that captured power at the Centre, he said.

Salem (Tamil Nadu): AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday alleged that the Central government never provided the disaster relief funds as sought by the Tamil Nadu government whenever the state was severely affected by cyclones.

Tamil Nadu's plight remains unchanged irrespective of the parties that captured power at the Centre, he claimed, flaying both the BJP government at the Centre and the ruling DMK in the state.

The DMK government, which has been complaining of a lack of financial support from the Centre to help the state tide over the loss due to the Michaung cyclone in December 2023, was unable to obtain the funds even during the UPA regime, he claimed.

"Despite sharing power with the Congress at the Centre, the DMK then failed to secure the funds when the state was badly hit by the cyclone," Palaniswami told reporters here after inaugurating water and buttermilk booths to quench people's thirst this summer at Konganapuram and Edappadi areas in the district.

Many cyclones such as Thane and Vardah lashed Tamil Nadu and left a trail of destruction during the AIADMK regime. 'But the Centre then did not provide the disaster relief funds as sought by the government,' Palaniswami said.

"They give less. They would not give the amount that is sought by the state government," the AIADMK general secretary added.