House sees stormy debate on Cyclone Ockhi

Stalin wanted clarification on rescue operations as Governor’s address claimed to continue search operations until the last missing fisherman was found contrary to the disclosure of Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of having called off the rescue efforts. 

“We have appealed to the Centre to continue efforts to rescue missing fishermen,” the CM said. Palaniswami noted that the state was sponsoring the local fishermen bodies that organise search parties to trace the missing fishermen from Kanniyakumari. 

“We provide them with diesel and out of pocket allowance for the search party members, who voluntarily take up the exercise,” Palaniswami said. As the LoP sought to know the number of missing fishermen feared dead and unaccounted for, Palaniswami said as many as 3,522 fishermen had returned home safely following the rescue measures initiated by the government.

Stalin wondered as to why the demand to declare Cyclone Ockhi as national disaster failed to figure in the Governor’s address. Referring to Congress member JG Prince’s demand to provide advanced communication gadgets to fishermen, Palaniswami said he had requested for a dedicated satellite radio channel from the Centre to air weather bulletins to fishermen while they were at sea, and 1500 high frequency wireless sets besides setting up a Naval station in Kanniyakumari with amenities including a helicopter landing pad and hi-tech communication facilities. He blamed Prince as having failed to get things done when they had a chance to do it. 

“Your party was in power at the Centre. You failed to do it when you could have. Had such initiatives been done earlier, fishermen could have been rescued immediately.  A naval station with advance facilities would come in handy to dispatch rescue efforts in times of natural events like a cyclone,” he said.