Palaniswami tells Tamil Nadu govt to hike cyclone cash aid to Rs 12,000

Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday demanded that the DMK regime increase the cyclone relief to Rs 12,000 from Rs 6,000 as people have lost their belongings and income.

Alleging that the DMK regime did not complete stormwater drain work properly, Palaniswami blamed the government for "not taking suitable preventive measures" to avert inundation.

In view of the flooding due to heavy rains induced by cyclone 'Michaung', daily wage earners and middle class people have lost income as they could not go for work.

Also, they have lost their belongings as houses were flooded.

Hence, the cash assistance of Rs 6,000 announced for flood and rain affected families should be increased to Rs 12,000.

The cash aid must be disbursed to all affected people without any conditions.

The AIADMK chief demanded a crop loss compensation ranging between Rs 17,000 per acre and Rs 25,000 per acre for paddy (the difference is in view of factors such as the readiness of crops for harvest) in Cauvery delta region and Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengelpet districts.

On December 9, Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced increasing the compensation for rain-hit crops (33 per cent and above) including paddy from Rs 13,500 per hectare to Rs 17,000.

For rain-fed crops, the compensation would be increased to Rs 8,500 from Rs 7,410 per hectare, the government had said.

Palaniswami, also Leader of the Opposition, urged the government to bear the cost of repairing vehicles submerged in rain water.

The former Chief Minister requested the government to provide compensation to industrial units where machinery and equipment were damaged as such units located in industrial estates came under water.