Haasan urges PM to visit cyclone Gaja-ravaged areas

The ongoing relief activities should not be a mere "fire-fighting exercise" but should be a long drawn one, he said and appealed to the people of the state to help those in the affected areas.

"The Prime Minister should immediately visit the affected areas. If the PM visits, the government machinery will work faster," Haasan, founder-president of the Makkal Needhi Maiam, told reporters here.

Tamil Nadu was an important part of the country and it should not be 'ignored,' he added.

Cyclone Gaja had crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on November 16, claiming 63 lives and leaving behind a trail of destruction, severely affecting the farming, fishing and power sectors.

Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai districts had suffered the worst damage.

The affected areas should be declared as an a "Smart Integrated Agricultural Zone," with a view to protecting farmers, he said.

Haasan sought more medical aid in the affected areas to prevent outbreak of any possible epidemics.