TN CM repeats charge on tsunami rehab

Chennai, Jun 26 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today charged the previous AIADMK government with failing to show interest in rehabilitating the tsunami-hit and accused former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa of trying to cheat the people on the issue.

Disputing Ms Jayalalithaa's statement that her government, in the absence of funds release from the Centre, spent on its own Rs 1136 crore, he said this was nothing but an attempt to hoodwink people.

On Ms Jayalalithaa's claim that World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) had offered financial assistance to the state, because of her sole efforts, he said no multinational financial institution would sanction assistance without the recommendation of the Centre.

Reiterating his charge that the AIADMK government spent only Rs 806.43 crore, Mr Karunanidhi said the Centre, under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation scheme, sanctioned Rs 2347.19 crore in February, 2005 and facilitated approval of Rs 2549.88 crore from the World Bank and ADB, totalling Rs 4897.07 crore.

Of the sanctioned Rs 2347.19 crore, the Centre had released Rs 820.31 crore, while the World Bank released an advance of Rs 207.50 crore, totalling Rs 1027.81 crore.

However, the AIADMK government had spent only Rs 806.43 crore, which was less than the amount released by the Centre and World Bank, Mr Karunanidhi pointed out.

The previous government should have issued goverment orders to undertake relief and rehabilitation and get reimbursement from the Centre. But the Jayalalithaa government, having failed to do this, was trying to put the blame on him as if he had prevented the Centre from releasing the funds, the Chief Minister charged.

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