#PondicherryRains: LG reviews situation, visits rain-hit areas

Puducherry, Dec 2: Lt Governor Lt General (retired) A K Singh today reviewed the situation in rain-ravaged Puducherry and relief works undertaken by the government.

The LG held discussions with the officials of the Revenue department, local administration, police and other departments and visited the rain-hit areas in and around Puducherry.

He told reporters that the government was fully geared up to meet any exigency. "People need not panic as the government is fully geared up and alert to rise to any exigency," he said.

He said he had requested the Union Home Ministry to depute two teams of the National Disaster Relief force to bolster relief works in rain-hit areas in Puducherry.

He said already the government had opened 150 relief centres and evacuated more than 1000 people from low lying areas.

"Food packets have also been distributed in the relief centres," he said.

He also pointed out that the government was preparing a supplementary report as the rain continued unabated.

A release from the Pondicherry University's Assistant Registrar K Mahesh said today that all the examinations of the medical, engineering and arts and science colleges (affiliated to the University) scheduled to be held on December 3, 4 and 5 have been postponed in view of the incessant rains.

Examinations slated to be held on these days by various departments, schools and centres of the University have also been postponed and fresh dates would be announced soon, the release added.

Meanwhile, Opposition DMK today called upon the Central government to declare Puducherry a disaster-hit region and launch relief works.

Convenor of the DMK (Puducherry South wing) R Siva said that it was indeed a sorry spectacle that the government had not fully geared up the machinery.

He said that relief work should be launched without any further loss of time.

The Centre should also declare Puducherry a disaster-hit region and launch relevant relief measures as the Union Territory had been battered by unprecedented rains, Siva said.

PTI