Chennai: “Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get funds for relief work was not out of care for the people. He went there to receive an award given by a private organisation,” DMK president M K Stalin said today in a statement criticising the alleged lack of relief measures taken by the government in the aftermath of Gaja cyclone.
DMK sources say Stalin will head to oversee the relief works in his father M Karunanidhi’s constituency- Thiruvarur on 4 December.
Expressing his solidarity with the people affected by the Cyclone Gaja, Stalin said, “The delta farmers who fed the entire nation have lost everything. Gaja has destroyed everything they owned and has left them stranded in the middle of the road. In spite of all this loss and the fact that it would take many years for them to recover, it is heartening to see the inner strength of the people who believe that they can overcome this great natural disaster.”
Mentioning the incidents where farmers filled the empty relief vehicles with coconuts as a show of gratitude, Stalin said, “This is the true culture of the people of Tamilnadu.”
He said, “The areas struck by the Gaja are still reeling under the destruction caused by the natural disaster and normalcy has not returned even after two weeks. The villages are under darkness as electricity has not been restored. Coconut trees, banana trees and paddy crops that provided livelihood and food for the farmers are destroyed. The State and Central Government must ensure the safety of people affected by Gaja and take immediate steps to restore normalcy in those districts.”
Mentioning the relief work undertaken by DMK, Stalin said, “The party has donated Rs 1 crore for relief work. DMK MLAs will donate their one month’s salary in addition to this. The Tiruchi Kalaignar Arivalayam has already sent Rs 4 crore worth relief material as the first step. DMK MLAs in Dindugul and Kodaikanal district are on the ground directly overseeing the relief work.”