Submit report on relief works, Collectors told

Hearing a petition filed by Thirumurugan, a lawyer belonging to Ramanathapuram, a division bench of justices K K Sasidharan and P T Adhikesavalu directed the Collectors of Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai and Tiruvarur to provide basic and essential services to the victims on a war footing. They also asked the State Government to spell out the help it sought from the Centre in this regard.

The petitioner claimed that the lives of more than 45 persons were lost due to the cyclone. In its aftermath, around 82,000 people are reeling under difficulties after being displaced. Electricity supply and transport service have been completely disrupted. Furthermore, lakhs of victims are languishing without food and shelter, Thirumurugan stated in his petition.

“While relief and rehabilitation centres set up by the Central Government to accommodate cyclone victims had been made available on a permanent basis in various States, no such facility is available in Tamil Nadu. There are 218 such centres in Andhra Pradesh, 312 in Odisha, 22 in Gujarat and 15 in West Bengal, but none in TN,” he contended.

The petitioner also sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of those who have died and Rs 10 lakh each to the injured persons.