Central team to visit flood-affected areas

Chennai, Apr 4: A four-member Central team will visit the flood affected areas of Tamil Nadu from April six to nine, even as Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today announced an additional allocation of Rs 75 crore for undertaking relief works.

An official release here said the Centre has decided to depute the team based on a request from the State. The team would visit the affected areas and recommend to the Centre the necessary assistance to be given to the State to undertake relief measures. Meanwhile, Mr Karunanidhi, who had announced allocation of Rs 100 crore on March 25, announced an additional Rs 75 crore for undertaking relief measures.

The release said the unprecedented rain last month has claimed 24 lives while paddy and other crops to an extent of 47,000 hectare were damaged and more than 800 cattle perished.

The State had also sent a report to the Centre estimating the damages caused in the rains, it said and recalled the enhancement in assistance to damaged crops from Rs 4,000 per hectare to Rs 7,500 per hectare.

It said the government had also removed the ceiling on restricting the assistance to two hectare and said irrespective of the number of hectares damaged, the assistance would be given.

UNI