A four-member inter-Ministerial Central team on Tuesday visited rain-affected areas in Cuddalore district. The delegation, comprising of Rajiv Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Vijay Rajmohan, Director (IT), Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare; Rananjay Singh, Regional Officer, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and M.V.N. Varaprasad, Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, arrived in Cuddalore from Puducherry.
The team inspected damage to infrastructure, roads and standing crops at Periyakanganakuppam caused by flooding from the Thenpennaiar River, which remains in spate. K. Phanindra Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Collector K. Balasubramaniam elaborated on the loss that has been estimated to agricultural crops, roads and other infrastructure due to the rains, with the help of a photo exhibition.
Official sources said that they had submitted the list of damage to infrastructure and standing crops due to inundation of rain water. Agricultural Department sources said that standing crops raised on about 5,919 hectares were inundated due to the recent spell of heavy rains. About 2,036 farmers from 45 villages in the district had lost crops on about 1,324.8 hectares.
The Central team also inspected damage to crops raised on about 283.26 hectares in Poovalai in Parangipettai block and interacted with farmers. The team, after the inspection, proceeded to Mayiladuthurai district from where they are expected to proceed to Tiruchi.
Media denied entry
Mediapersons were denied permission to cover the Central team’s visit at Poovalai village. While police personnel led by Chidambaram Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramesh Raj allowed cars of officials and the police to pass through Poovalai village, they refused to allow mediapersons, who were part of the convoy, to get to the inspection site. Even when reporters tried to reason with the policemen, stating that they were part of the convoy, they were refused permission.
Harried journalists made phone calls to the Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan but the policemen refused to budge saying they had not received any instructions from their higher authorities.
