DMK seeks liberal relief for rain- hit Puducherry

Puducherry: A delegation of legislators of the opposition DMK submitted a memorandum to the inter-Ministerial central to Puducherry on Tuesday and sought “liberal relief” to the union territory to tackle the situation arising out of torrential rains.

A party release said that the delegation led by R Siva apprised the team on a visit to take stock of the situation about the severe damage to infrastructures, bed dams across the rivers, power installations, farm sector in the recent floods in Puducherry.

The Centre should sanction liberal relief to Puducherry instead of adopting hackneyed yardsticks to help farm and other sectors, the DMK team said.

The release said that the bed dams across the river in Chellipet and also across the Thenpennayar in Commandanpet in Bahoor Commune limits had been totally damaged by the large inflow of water released from catchment areas.

As much as Rs 500 crore was needed to repair roads, reconstruct the bed dams and to provide infrastructure including irrigation channels.

“The Centre should not adopt hackneyed yardsticks in finalising the relief package,” the DMK said in the petition. The opposition party also sought adequate compensation for farmers who had suffered due to the heavy rains which caused damage to paddy fields and crops.

The rain that lashed Puducherry for the last nearly two weeks was unprecedented and the government had urged the Centre to sanction an interim relief of Rs 300 crore.