CHENNAI: CPM and CPI on Saturday strongly condemned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for refusing to release additional funds to meet the expenditure arising from the disaster caused by floods in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts.
After visiting the flood-affected Southern districts, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said that the Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts had witnessed unprecedented floods causing severe damage to houses, shops, crops, industries, fishermen and salt pans.
"Union Minister has neither met the affected people in person nor extended a helping hand to them but has been spreading false information to media in New Delhi due to political vendetta. She has refused to release disaster relief funds. None of the Union Ministers including Nirmala Sitharaman who hails from Tamil Nadu did not visit the flood-affected areas. It is condemnable, " he said.
He noted that the CPM-led Kerala government has announced that it would provide a relief kit comprising 18 essential items to the flood-affected people.
"People of the state have taken note of the indifference of the BJP government at the centre refusing to provide adequate relief funds for Tamil Nadu, " he added.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan wondered if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had known that heavy rain would lash on December 12 in Southern districts, why is she releasing the information seven days after the disaster?
He criticised the minister for washing her hands on releasing additional funds to the state which has been hit by disaster after disaster.
"The union government which has been providing lakhs of crores of rupees tax waiver to corporates is refusing to provide disaster relief funds for the states ruled by the opposition parties," he alleged.