Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

TN seeks Rs. 2,000 crores Central relief

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Jan. 31. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today handed over to the Central team, deputed to assess the drought situation in the State, a fresh memorandum seeking Rs.2027.53 crore-support and nine lakh tonnes of rice to step up relief operations.

The first memorandum had asked for Rs.1, 434 crores cash assistance and 7.5 lakh tonnes of rice.

The `Memorandum on Drought - 2003,' detailed the situation in the State, with all districts facing severe drought. Irrigation sources were dry and both kuruvai and samba crops were badly affected owing to poor monsoon and Karnataka's refusal to release Tamil Nadu's legitimate share of Cauvery water.

The kuruvai was totally lost and hardly 40 per cent of the samba could be saved. Eleven lakh coconut trees withered and another 25 lakh were badly affected, which was unprecedented. The production loss of crops was estimated to be Rs.5, 387.84 crores and loss of employment 2,736 lakh man-days.

The four-member team met the Chief Minister at the Secretariat after a tour of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Dharmapuri and Salem. It is expected to submit its report in two weeks.

Ms.Jayalalithaa told the team that rainfall last year was the lowest in the past 30 years. The State faced acute drinking water shortage and hydel power generation came down by more than half, resulting in a loss of Rs.690 crores to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.

She said the amount released from the National Calamity Contingency Fund was meagre. Hence, further assistance was urgently required.

Addressing presspersons, the team head, Ashish Bahuguna, Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, said the team recorded water shortage and fodder scarcity in the areas visited. The team also reviewed relief measures of the State Government. He said the team needed time to study the second memorandum.

The team would meet State Government officials on Saturday for further discussions on assistance. He did not want to quantify the drought, but the team would quantify requirements of assistance.

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