Jaya hits out at Chidambaram

Chennai, Apr 25 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today hit back at Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram for giving false information with regard to the tsunami relief fund, sanctioned by the Centre.

Disputing Mr Chidambaram's claim that the Centre had sanctioned a sum of Rs 5025.56 crore, Ms Jayalalithaa, campaigning in Erode district, accused Mr Chidambaram of trying to mislead the people on the issue.

Stating that the centre had sanctioned only a megre amount for undertaking tsunami relief, she said Mr Chidambaram was trying to take credit even for the loans sanctioned to the state government by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the tune of Rs 2678.37 crore.

If Mr Chidambaram wanted to take credit for the external fundings, would he come forward to repay the loans on behalf of the state government, she asked.

She had offered detailed clarifications to all these points raised by the Union Minsiter on the floor of the assembly itself, but Mr Chidambaram keeps repeating it like a parrot, she alleged.

When unprecedented rains and floods devasted the state last year, the state government had sought an assistance of more than Rs 13,000 crore to provide succour to the people, but the centre sanctioned a just over Rs 800 crores, she charged.

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