Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday assured that the Centre would take steps to construct houses under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme for all those who had lost their homes during cyclone Gaja.
Addressing the villagers at Neduvasal in Pudukottai, on the second day of her visit to the cyclone-affected areas, Ms. Sitharaman said that people whose names did not figure in the socio-economic census data but had lost their houses could give their names to the Collector now. The Centre would take efforts to sanction houses for them as well, she assured.
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Steps would also be taken to bring coconut saplings from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to enable the affected farmers go in for fresh plantations if saplings were not available in T.N. This would be done through the Coconut Development Board, the Minister said adding that she had already spoken to officials. If required the Centre would transport coconut saplings from Andaman in Naval ships to help the coconut growers of cyclone affected districts since the magnitude of destruction to the trees was huge. Officials of the Coconut Development Board and Secretary, Horticulture would visit the State in a day or two and hold discussions with the State government to take necessary steps to bring coconut saplings from other States in case Tamil Nadu did not have sufficient saplings.
Ms.Sitharaman said since power supply was not fully restored, arrangements were being made to supply kerosene.