Jaya refutes charge on tsunami rehabilitation

Chennai, June 25 (UNI) AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today joined issue with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on the issue of tsunami rehabilitation.

Dismissing as a ''total lie'' Mr Karunanidhi's statement that her government had spent only Rs 806.32 crore of the Rs 2347.19 crore sanctioned by the Centre, she said the AIADMK government had sought an assistance of Rs 9800 crore from the Centre, but the Centre, after announcing an assistance of Rs 2347.19 crore, had sanctioned only Rs 820.31 crore.

Alleging that the Centre had withheld further payment following the intervention of the then opposition DMK, she said her government, from its own resources, had spent Rs 1136 crore for rehabilitation, but Mr Karunanidhi was trying to hide this fact.

She said the relief and rehabilitation measures taken by her government were hailed by President A P J Abdul Kalam, UN Special envoy and former US President Bill Clinton, senior officials of the Union government, besides the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Only because of her efforts, the World Bank and ADB had agreed to provide financial assistance for tsunami rehabilitation, but Mr Karunanidhi was trying to give an impression that the banks were providing assistance because of his efforts and trying to claim credit for it, she alleged.

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