Tsunami sub-committee members visit Pondy

Puducherry, Jan 4 (UNI) Members of the Sub-Committee on Tsunami, constituted by the Union Home Ministry, arrived here today to assess the rehabilitation works being carried out in the Union Territory.

According to Sub-Committee Chairman V Narayanasami, MP, the Committee would visit Pudukuppam and Veerampattinam villages and assess the pace of the works.

They would leave for Andaman and Nicobar Islands tomorrow and inspect whether the funds allocated by the Centre were spent in a proper manner and also look into the construction of houses for the affected.

The Sub-Committee would hold a meeting with the officials of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Governments in Chennai on January 6 on the rehabilitation works.

It would submit its report to the government by the month-end, he said.

Later, the team visited the adjoining Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, inspected the houses built for the victims and heard their grievances.

Mr Narayanasami said 60 per cent of the rehabilitation works have been completed in Tamil Nadu and the house construction work for the tsunami-hit in Kerala would be completed by October 2008.

The Centre had allocated Rs 4,100 crore to Tamil Nadu, Rs 2,600 crore to Andamans, Rs 1,441 crore to Kerala and Rs 631 crore to Puducherry for undertaking rehabilitation works, he added.

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