MPs to call on Shah, seek funds for Tamil Nadu
Chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday said an appointment had been sought from Union home minister Amit Shah for an all-party MP delegation to meet him and seek immediate release of 37,907.19 crore towards relief and restoration in the flood affected districts of Tamil Nadu.
An official release came hours after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at an event in Chennai that Centre had devolved more funds than the direct taxes it received from Tamil Nadu.
State government had spent 2,100 crore until now, towards rescue and relief operations and interim relief and restoration, and to extend assistance to the poor and middle-income groups.
Chief minister M K Stalin had also announced a 1,000crore flood relief package for the affected MSME units, self-help groups, small traders, farmers, and fishermen, an official release said.
“Narendra Modi visited TN on January 1, and while addressing an event in Trichy, spoke about the cyclone and flood damages, and expressed his grief and anguish. TN has not received any relief assistance from the Union government for the relief work even after the visits of the Central teams, Union ministers, and after submission of two memorandums by the state government,” the release said.
“It is noteworthy that when such natural calamities occurred in other states, Centre provided relief assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund within a short period of time,” the release by the state added.