The 10 anniversary of the tsunami passed off on Friday without any official event here.
Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who also holds the Finance portfolio, was away in New Delhi to attend a meeting of Finance Ministers held as part of the preparations for the Union budget.
Revenue Secretary R. Venkatesan said he had no knowledge of the matter as he had just joined the department.
Commissioner of Revenue Administration T.S. Sridhar, who is also in-charge of disaster management, was in Hyderabad to participate in a seminar on tsunami.
Revenue Minister R. B. Udhayakumar could only say that awareness programmes on the preparedness of disasters were being organised on a continuous basis.
An official said a proposal was mooted about a month ago to hold an event but there was no word from the government. In the last one month, the State administration saw the change of Chief Secretary and Revenue Secretary.
Another official explained how the administration was keen on implementing the Rs. 1481.8-crore Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project with the support of the World Bank and the preparedness of people at the village level for disasters, natural or man-made, was being given the focus.
March in VelankanniSullen faces, misty eyes and prayers marked the tsunami anniversary at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district. The gathering marched silently from the Shrine Basilica to the Tsunami Memorial.