Central team to visit cyclone-hit Tamil Nadu on December 21

The Central team would visit Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts, which bore the brunt of the Cyclone fury. The team, headed by Joint Secretary Praveen Vashishtha from the Union Home Ministry, would comprise officials from the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Industries and Rural Development, among others. The cyclone that crossed the Chennai coast on Monday left behind a traol of havoc and destruction, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who announcing a relief or Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation works, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an immediate assistance of Rs 1,000 crore from the National Calamity Relief Fund. 

He also urged him to depute a Central team to assess the damages. Following his letter, the Centre sanctioned a relief of Rs 500 crore for taking up relief works in the cyclone-battered areas. After analysing the extent of damages with the state officials, Panneerselvam called on Mr Modi in New Delhi yesterday and submitted a memorandum seeking a relief of 22,500 crores. He also discussed with him various issues concerning the state, including the inter-state river issues, GST, NEET, Jallikattu, retrieval of Katchatheevu and the problems faced by the fishermen.