New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced a Rs 1,000 crore package for people who lost their houses and farmers whose crops were damaged in eight districts, including Chennai and Thoothukudi, due to unprecedented historic rains and subsequent floods.
The government also announced loans up to Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for small traders and MSMEs, and relief amount for fishermen whose boats were damaged due to the rains that lashed early this month.
The announcement comes after the government began distributing Rs 6,000 as one-time flood relief assistance to people affected by floods in Chennai, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and in parts of Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kanchipuram. The relief amount in Kanyakumari and Tenkasi was Rs 1,000.
In a statement on Saturday, Chief Minister M K Stalin said Rs 385 has been allotted to construct 4,577 new houses and undertake repairs in 9,975 houses in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Thoothukudi, and Tirunelveli districts. While Rs 4 lakh will be given to people who lost their houses, Rs 2 lakh will be given to people whose houses were damaged.
Stalin said Rs 250 crore will be disbursed to farmers in eight affected districts where about 2.64 lakh hectares have been affected.
“The government will also provide crop loans and loans to buy farm equipment to farmers who incurred losses,” the Chief Minister said.
While small traders will get loan up to Rs 1 lakh at an interest of 6 per cent, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will receive loan up to Rs 3 lakh at an interest of 6 percent per annum. The government will provide loans up to Rs 100 crore, the Chief Minister added.
“The government will provide new loans of about Rs 350 crore to about 4,000 eligible women self-help groups,” he said.
An amount of Rs 15 crore has been sanctioned as a relief amount for fishermen as 4,928 fishing boats have been damaged.
The Chief Minister also announced Rs 3,000 as one-time assistance for salt pan workers in Thoothukudi.