Centre should give funds demanded by Tamil Nadu Government for flood relief, rehabilitation works, says CPI (M) State secretary

CPI (M) state secretary demands Centre to release funds for flood relief in Thoothukudi, warns of unified protest.

The Centre, instead of mocking at the Tamil Nadu Government and levelling baseless allegations on flood-relief works in the State, should release the funds as being demanded for carrying out relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected population, CPI (M) state secretary K. Balakrishnan said here on Thursday.

 Addressing the party’s demonstration organized in protest against the Centre for not giving sufficient funds for flood relief works, Mr. Balakrishnan said Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, which had suffered huge damage and loss of properties due to the flood triggered by unprecedented downpour, were struggling to come back to normal life despite continuing relief works. Besides loss of lives, the people had lost their cattle and properties to flooding while crops standing on thousands of acres had been destroyed.

 Subsequently, the State government had given a relief of ₹6,000 to the badly affected while ₹1,000 was disbursed to others.

 While the State Government had sought an assistance of ₹37,000 crore for carrying out flood relief and rehabilitation works in Chennai, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, the Centre, which was getting huge tax revenue from Tamil Nadu, was refusing to allocate the assistance even after Central Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Rajnath Singh had visited the flood-affected areas. Another Central team was expected to visit the affected places on Friday (January 12).

 “Even though Tamil Nadu had suffered a loss of ₹1.12 lakh crore to nature’s fury in the past five years, the Union Government had given only ₹5,000 crore. However, the Centre releases more funds to the BJP-ruled States for flood or drought relief and rehabilitation. So, it is evident that the BJP-ruled Centre is taking revenge on the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu. If the Centre refuses to give the ₹37,000 crore as demanded by the Tamil Nadu Government, a unified protest by all political parties will soon erupt in Tamil Nadu,” he warned.

 On the recent strike by the transport workers, he said the transport employees were forced to start their indefinite strike as their demands were genuine but remained unfulfilled. Considering the public’s welfare the agitation had been suspended till January 19. Hence, the Tamil Nadu government should fulfill the transport workers’ demands, Mr. Balakrishnan said.