PUDUCHERRY: The UT has sought financial assistance of Rs 2453.53 crore from the Centre for the relief measures in the areas hit by cyclone Thane.A memorandum in this regard was submitted to the nine-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which arrived here from Chennai on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage in the region. The memorandum was submitted to the team, during a meeting with top officials at the Secretariat. Following the meeting, the team, led by Lokesh Jha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, left for a visit to the affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment. The team visited nearly 13 select places ravaged by the cyclone, starting with Bharathi Park, located opposite the Legislative Assembly.AIADMK local unit secretary A Anbazhgan and other party MLAs Sakthi Sekar, A Baskar and Purushothaman, who caught up with the team at Vambakeerapalayam, drew Jha’s attention to the extensive losses suffered by fishermen due to the cyclone. Anbazhagan requested Jha to ensure that the funds allotted for relief efforts reach the beneficiaries, without being diverted to other departments.The team also took stock of the aftermath of the cyclone in the Botanical Garden, where a large number of trees were destroyed and uprooted. Agriculture director Sathiyaseelan gave them a briefing on the damage to the tourist spot.At Lawspet Colony, Lokesh Jha gave a patient hearing to the grievances of Chinnanan, a representative of the Narikurava community in the locality, in the presence of MLA Kalyanasundaram.Communicating with the help of a translator, Chinnanan, while recounting how his tribe escaped the wrath of the cyclone, told Jha how Thane had affected their livelihood and that reconstructing a house would cost around Rs 35,000.The team was then bombarded with complaints about the inadequate relief measures and the unavailability of essentials like food and drinking water, before they proceeded with their visit.Queried by reporters about their feedback from Sunday’s visit, Jha responded by saying, “Certainly, damage has taken place.”Jha said the IMCT team would examine all “the proposals” in the memorandum submitted during their meeting at the Secretariat before submitting their report to the Centre.To a poser on how long it would take for them to submit the report, he replied, “that takes time.” The team would be closeted again with the officials, led by Chief Secretary M Sathiavathy, after the conclusion of their visit.Revenue secretary K R Meena, special secretary to the government G Theva Neethi Dhas (IAS) and deputy collector A Muthamma were among the officials present during Sunday’s meeting.
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