The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Government ready to kick-start rehabilitation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 20, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Government ready to kick-start rehabilitation

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, JAN. 19. With the Centre announcing the first component of the tsunami assistance package for the affected States, Tamil Nadu appears set to launch a massive programme to rehabilitate the displaced families.

This package will also take care of repairs to and replacement of damaged fishing vessels.

As assured by the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, during his recent visit to Chennai, the package has gone beyond the relief provided by the Centre for natural calamities. Tamil Nadu, which suffered the worst damage in the December 26, 2004 tsunami, gets the lion's share.

This will provide for immediate relief, subsidy and loan to fishermen to repair their vessels or buy new ones and a housing programme.

`Overwhelming response'

According to senior officials in charge of the relief and rehabilitation works here, the State Government has invited non-governmental organisations to participate in the housing programme and their response is "overwhelming." Similarly, the response to the Chief Minister's appeal for contributions to the Public Relief fund is beyond expectations. It has crossed Rs. 100 crores.

The officials said most of the temporary shelters were readied and people were moving into them in various places. As for permanent housing, the Government was initiating steps to acquire land. "There is a certain process to be gone through before land acquisition is completed. This has to be done but the process is on," said a senior official.

He said the Government was keen on pushing ahead with the assistance to the fishermen to repair catamarans or buy new fibre boats with motors so that they could go back to the seas. As the Centre had laid down the norms and provided a one-third subsidy element, most of the fishermen would utilise the package to upgrade their vessels, he hoped. A survey was conducted by the Fisheries Department to include those who had lost their vessels or suffered heavy damage. Once the assessment was ready and the Central assistance available, this part of the rehabilitation programme would be speeded up.

Being the worst affected State, Tamil Nadu was allocated a Rs. 356.54-crore subsidy for fishermen and a Rs. 566.47-crore loan component. For housing, the State would receive Rs. 650 crores.

The officials said that in addition to government-funded programmes, the NGOs were adopting villages and coming up with local housing projects. The idea was to draw up a design and identify land for construction before the entire programme got under way.

Fishermen reluctant

The main problem confronting the district administration seemed to be the reluctance of the fishermen to venture into the sea again. Aside from trauma or psychological problems, there was a persistent fear among consumers that it was still "not safe" to consume fish. From the Food and Agriculture Organisation to local veterinarians, expert opinions are being communicated to convince the people that it is "safe" to eat fish.

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