Thanjavur: Continuing her tour of cyclone Gaja affected areas in Tamilnadu for the second day, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Thanjavur district Friday and assured affected coconut farmers that the union government would extend all help to them.
Speaking to reporters after visiting Peruvurani in the district and interacting with farmers, she said that the Centre had despatched five trucks of kerosene to five relief centres and it would be distributed to the people Saturday.
This would be apart from the relief provided by the state government in allocation of rations, she said. The defence minister said she went around affected areas in Pattukottai and Peravurani Friday. She said would explain the situation to the union Finance Minister and he would take steps to rehabilitate the farmers.
The minister earlier held discussions with coconut farmers, coconut related industry owners and workers and locals. On Thursday, she had visited Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts.
The 16 November cyclone, which affected 12 districts, had claimed 63 lives and left a huge trail of destruction, damaging houses, crops, disrupting electricity supply and uprooting lakhs of trees.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami had last week met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking a central assistance of around Rs 15,000 crore with an immediate relief of Rs 1,500 crore toward the relief and rehabilitation works.