A seven-member inter-ministerial team from the Union Government will visit 11 districts, including Chennai and Kanyakumari, on November 22 and 23 to assess the damage caused due to incessant rains that lashed the state in the past fortnight and subsequent floods.
The team led by Rajiv Sharma, Joint Secretary, NATGRID, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, arrived here on Sunday and held preliminary discussions with Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and other senior officials. The team was also briefed about the damages caused by rains in Chennai by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.
Tamil Nadu is facing extremely heavy rains, though intermittently since the beginning of this month leading to flooding in several parts of the state. Besides infrastructural damages, paddy cultivated in thousands of acres of agricultural land has also been affected in the Cauvery Delta region.
The state government has sought over Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre for relief measures in the state. The government has already set aside Rs 300 crore for repairing infrastructure that have been damaged due to the rains.
The team would split into two groups and visit nine districts across the state. The first team led by Sharma will visit Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur districts on Monday and Tuesday. The team will also visit Puducherry.
The second team led by R B Kaul, Consultant, Union Ministry of Finance, will visit Kanyakumari, Vellore, and Ranipet districts on Monday and Tuesday. Both the teams will return to Chennai and hold consultations with Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday before leaving for New Delhi.
The team will visit the worst affected areas in all the 11 districts and interact with people to assess the damage caused due to rains that have claimed the lives of over 50 persons.
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