Central team assessing Chennai floods loss submits report

Government is likely to come out with its recommendations as well as assessment of losses due to floods in Tamil Nadu within a fortnight as a central team constituted for the purpose has submitted its report, a Parliamentary panel was told today.

Briefing the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs chaired by Congress MP from Rajya Sabha P Bhattacharya on the issue, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi informed that the eight-member inter-ministerial team deputed by the Centre to assess the flood damage in Tamil Nadu has given its report, which is being examined, the sources said.

They said that the Home Secretary told the panel the government is likely to come out with its assessment of losses and measures to deal with it within a fortnight as the Parliamentary committee urged the Centre to give liberal assistance to the rain-ravaged state.

The eight-member team, led by Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry T V S N Prasad, had met Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after touring the state. The Chief Minister asked them to make an "in-depth assessment" and submit its report to the Union Home Ministry "expeditiously".

Jyalalithaa, who has demanded a Central assistance of Rs 25,912 crore, had told the visiting team that the requirement of funds for relief and restoration of infrastructure "are well beyond the resources available with the state".

Following the disaster that claimed about 280 lives, the state government submitted a demand for Rs 25,912 crore. The team had earlier also visited the state and made an assessment of damage last year.

Besides Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts had bore the brunt of the torrential rains during the North East monsoon last year.

The panel meeting in which representatives from Home Ministry, Finance Ministry, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Tamil Nadu government briefed members about the flash flood and the steps taken in the aftermath, members raised a number of questions on the government's preparedness to meet such a crisis and about the quantum of central assistance.

The members also wanted the Centre to do more in situations saying Centre cannot abdicate its responsibility during such massive disasters.

In the last meeting of the panel on December 18, the Home Secretary had to face the ire of members for leaving the panel's deliberations midway with two TMC MPs even walking out of the committee's meeting, resulting in its postponement.

Following this, chairman of the panel and Congress MP from Rajya Sabha P Bhattacharya called Mehrishi again and advised him not to do so in future.

In the 31-member panel, the BJP has 13 members, Congress 4, BJD 2, Trinamool Congress 2, AIADMK 3, CPI-M, CPI, SP, TRS, TDP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena one each. NDA members have majority in the panel.