The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Undertake relief measures on a war footing: team

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Undertake relief measures on a war footing: team

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, DEC. 31. Representatives of nine organisations including the Peoples Union for Civil Liberty, the Tamil Nadu Social Service Society, and the People's Association for Human Rights, who were on a fact-finding mission in the coastal areas in the State battered by tsunami waves, have urged the Government to undertake relief measures on a war footing.

After visiting Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Nagore, Velankanni, Karaikal, Tharangambadi, Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Chennai, Kalpakkam, Kanyakumari and Tiruchendur, the team deplored the belated initiative of the State machinery on providing relief to the tsunami victims.

Food, clothes and medicines were not provided to the victims accommodated in government buildings till the second half of the second day after the incident, charged Tamizhalagan, advocate, who led the team.

Alleging that officials functioned with lackadaisical attitude in undertaking relief works, the team complained that no attempts on the part of the official machinery was forthcoming to record the number of deaths and the damages caused to households.

It wanted the Government to act fast to control outbreak of epidemics in the affected areas.

It sought the formation of a comprehensive committee comprising representatives of political parties, social organisations and government officials to ensure that the relief reached the deserving people.

The Central Government should bear the entire cost of relief and rehabilitation works with a long-term perspective, the team insisted, and wanted immediate measures to provide education to the displaced students.

Besides constructing dwellings for fishermen 500 metres away from the shores, the team wanted the Government to establish facilities to ensure safety of fishing equipment.

It sought the opening of information centres at all important places.

The damaged roads, noon meal centres, schools, and health centres should be reconstructed with a provision for withstanding natural calamities.

The Government should permit the victims intending to migrate to other places and help in their rehabilitation.

The other demands put forth by the team were installation of disaster warning system, starting of homes for orphaned children and women and prompt steps to issue ration cards, and other documents.

Overwhelming support

Support for the tsunami-affected victims was expressed by way of prayer meetings and donation of money and materials by educational institutions, associations and social organisations.

A prayer meeting was organised by National College to offer condolences to the departed souls.

The Principal, S. Ramamoorthy, read out a resolution expressing the support of the students by way of mobilising relief materials and taking them to the affected people.

The Jamal Mohamed College Staff Association has decided to contribute a day's salary to the relief fund.

A similar announcement has been made by the Tamil Nadu Tahsildar, Deputy Tahsildar Association.

According to its State president, A. Shahul Hameed, the association would strive to collect relief materials from the public and channel them to the affected people through the district administration.

The Human Rights Protection Centre, Tamil Nadu, has committed its support to the Government in ensuring that its relief materials reached the affected people.

In a statement issued here today, its State president, M.T. Cholagar, said the Centre would function in close coordination with the Free Legal Aid Service Committee, and streamline the activities of volunteers and youths engaged in relief work.

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