Chiding the opposition parties for criticising the pace of relief work in districts affected by Cyclone Gaja, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday urged them to go by their conscience, taking into account the enormity of the damage.
Political parties should rise above their differences in times of such crisis and display a humanitarian spirit, he said, citing the unity displayed by political parties in Kerala during the recent floods there.
“Relief and restoration work went on for a month in Kerala. The opposition did not raise any issue there,” he told mediapersons after conducting an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected areas in Pudukottai and Thanjavur districts.
The power infrastructure destroyed by the cyclone cannot be restored by simply waving a magic wand, he said, adding, “Two persons involved in restoration work have been injured. The criticism by the opposition was an insult to the workers risking their lives.”
So far, over one lakh electric poles had been uprooted, and 3,300 workers, including personnel from other States, were involved in the restoration efforts, he said.
He justified his decision to visit the affected areas a few days after the cyclone, saying the priority was to launch relief work immediately. The day after the cyclone, the government deputed senior IAS officials and Cabinet Ministers to the districts to oversee relief and restoration work, he said.
To meet PM
The CM said he had sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him about the cyclone’s impact. He was likely to meet the PM on Thursday, Mr. Palaniswami said.
Admitting that the amount sanctioned by the Central government to Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Vardah and the Chennai floods was much lower than what was sought by the State government, the CM said he would be presenting a precise account of the losses caused by Cyclone Gaja during his meeting with the PM and would impress upon him the need for sanctioning adequate funds.
Noting that the cyclone had caused extensive damage, he said a thorough enumeration was under way. “All the affected people will get compensation. Nobody will be left out,” he said.
