Chennai, Feb 3 (IANS) The central government was forced to announce Rs.500 crore for relief and rehabilitation works in areas hit by cyclone Thane Dec 30 last year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said Friday.
Intervening during the debate on motion of thanks to the governor for his address in the assembly, Jayalalithaa said the state government had asked for Rs.5,000 crore as central assistance for cyclone relief works but there was no response.
So the state decided to allot Rs.850 crore out of its own funds for relief, and also decided to issue an advertisement appealing to the public to generously donate to the chief minister’s Relief Fund, she said.
“Perhaps the central government felt ashamed after seeing the advertisements and announced Rs.500 crore assistance,” she added.
Referring to the attacks on the Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy, Jayalalithaa said she would not rest till the Katchatheevu islet ceded to the island nation is retrieved.
According to her a permanent solution to prevent attacks on the Indian fishermen is to retrieve Katchatheevu and referred to the case filed by her as AIADMK’s general secretary in the Supreme Court.
She said the Tamil Nadu government has impleaded itself in the said case based on a resolution passed in the state assembly.
