Cyclone Fengal: Puducherry CM Rangasamy Seeks Rs 614.88 Crore Relief From Centre

In memoranda sent to PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, Puducherry CM Rangasamy provided a sector-wise breakdown of the devastation and requested immediate intervention.

CM Stalin also blamed the release of excess water from Tamil Nadu’s Sathanur and Veedur dams between December 1 and 4 for exacerbating flooding in Puducherry.

Source : PTI

Amid demands from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the Centre to disperse relief funds, Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has appealed to the central government for an interim relief allocation of Rs 614.88 crore to address the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Fengal and unprecedented rainfall in the Union Territory. In memoranda sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, Rangasamy provided a sector-wise breakdown of the devastation and requested immediate intervention.

The memorandum mentioned the damages caused in Puducherry and Karaikal due to the heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal. The damages included impact to agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, health, electricity, public works, local administration, and forestry departments. Emphasising the urgent need for funds, the Chief Minister cited that the Disaster Relief Fund lacks adequate resources to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The CM also requested the Centre to send a team to assess the damage and approve the allocation. He stated, as per a report on PTI, “This is a tentative report, and the territorial government urgently requires Rs 614.88 crore to begin relief and rehabilitation efforts, as the State Disaster Relief Fund does not have sufficient balance.”

Highlighting relief initiatives, he announced a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme which is aimed at providing Rs 5,000 to each ration card holder. The CM underlined that the scheme requires an estimated Rs 177 crore. Additionally, he requested Rs 427 crore for repairing and relaying urban and rural roads, which he described as “severely damaged.”

The Chief Minister also blamed the release of excess water from Tamil Nadu’s Sathanur and Veedur dams between December 1 and 4 for exacerbating flooding in Puducherry. He further noted that the cyclone and rains have disrupted livelihoods, especially among the working population.