Gaja-hit dists will get power within a week: Electricity Minister

Speaking to mediapersons in Namakkal, Thangamani said works are being carried out in a war footing despite heavy rains.

“Of the 45,000 electric poles damaged in Pattukottai and Vedaranyam, about 20,000 have been repaired so far. The power supply will be restored in Thanjavur and Orathanadu areas in another three days. Almost 80 per cent of the works have been completed in Muthupet,” he said.

After completely restoring power supply in urban areas, the electricity workers were now deployed in villages, the minister said.

“The TNEB workers, who were paid Rs 1,000 per day initially, are now given triple that amount. After the entire restoration works get over, the Chief Minister will felicitate them by issuing a certificate of appreciation recognising their hard work,” Thangamani said.

Stating that compensation will be given to all people affected by the cyclone, Thangamani said the Chief Minister has announced the construction of one lakh concrete houses for the affected persons. “The compensation amount has been deposited in the bank account of beneficiaries,” he said.

Thangamani then interacted with the EB workers in Pudukkottai and appreciated their efforts. He also heard their grievances and had lunch with them.

Speaking to reporters there, he said all the areas in Nagapattinam district will receive power supply within three days as the installation of EB poles is currently underway.

The members of Tamilaga Thennai Uzhavargal Sangam (Tamil Nadu coconut farmers association) on Tuesday observed a hunger strike at Pattukkottai demanding Rs 5,000 per coconut tree uprooted and damaged in the Gaja cyclone. The farmers also asked the government to remove the fallen coconut trees and send the same to other districts and other states after giving them a fair price. They also wanted the waiver of the crop loans availed by the farmers in scheduled commercial banks and the Primary Agricultural cooperative societies (PACCS). Their other demands include the free supply of coconut seedlings to the affected farmers and the government bearing the cost for the maintenance of the young coconut trees for the first five years. 

Meanwhile, a central expert team led by Dinesh Kumar, Joint Secretary (Mission for Integrated Development of Agriculture), Union Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday inspected the crops affected due to the Gaja cyclone. The team first visited the Tirukkaanoorpatti village where they inspected the banana crop completely damaged. Later they visited the villages of Pulavankadu, Avidavijayanallapuram where they inspected the uprooted coconut trees. They were accompanied by V Dakshinamurthy, the Director of Agriculture, Dr N Subbaiyan, the Director of Horticulture, Government of Tamil Nadu and Thanjavur Collector A Annadurai.