It’s Stalin’s habit to flee during deluge, says Velumani

Speaking to reporters here, the Minister hit out at Stalin for condemning his proposed visit to Australia. He added that the Australian trip was finalised three months ago, but he had postponed it due to the prevailing situation. But, Stalin had left for Dubai to take part in a book exhibition and he would leave for London from there. He also alleged that Stalin had left the state and stayed in Kerala during the December 2015 deluge too. 

“I am keener to serve the people than to visit foreign countries and I have not gone abroad till date, though I was the then Industries Minister in Amma’s cabinet,” he said. Explaining the rain relief works in the city, Velumani said the Corporation had provided food to 18,000 people displaced by inundation and 1,145 persons had been accommodated in relief camps. The government had received 4,504 complaints and it had started acting on them, he added. 

The Minister also said that about 5,000 houses encroaching upon the water bodies had been removed and the water is being drained from several places in the city. The Corporation had set up 177 medical camps to check the spread of contagious diseases. 

Disputing the minister’s claim, sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran said the government had not carried out precautionary measures. The local administration had failed to desilt the storm water drains and canals and this had resulted in inundation in residential areas. The death of two children due to electrocution could have been averted if proper drainage works had been completed, he charged. 

Dinakaran distributed food packets to the people affected by the rain, besides meeting the relatives of the two children, who died of electrocution at Kodungaiyur. He inspected the rain affected areas in the constituency and listened to the grievances of the residents.