CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin urged the State government to allocate Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase for carrying out relief works in the rain-ravaged Nilgiris district. He wrote a letter to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in this regard on Friday.
“I was saddened when I witnessed the sufferings of the Nilgiris district which faced heavy downpour from August 5 to 9. The objective of my visit was only to console the victims and inspect relief works and was not a publicity motive. After meeting the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the landslide, I have announced a solatium of Rs 1 lakh each for the victims’ families and directed the MPs and MLAs of our party to allocate Rs 10 crore from their local area development fund for carrying out relief works,” said Stalin.
He added, “The government should allocate Rs 1,000 crore to carry out relief works such as construction of houses and relay damaged stretches. The victims should not be sent to their houses before reconstructing damaged houses. The government should declare the district as disaster-affected and steps should be taken to bring normalcy on a war-footing.”
He also urged the government to offer a government job to any one member of the family that lost their kin.