Cyclone Michaung hit the shores of Chennai on 04 & 05 December 2023. The cyclone left behind a trail of destruction and left the city paralysed for more than a week. Though the rescue operations were swift, some areas in the city were more affected than the others, especially the suburbs. The Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announced that flood relief money for those were impacted. This has become a cause of anguish among the people since then.
Gaps In Communication
On 12 December 2023, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced during a meeting with reporters that the government will provide the flood relief funds to all ration cardholders in Chennai. He even said for those who do not have a ration card in Chennai district, assistance will be provided based on alternative documents demonstrating their residency in Chennai. A dedicated camp will be organized to verify the additional documents of those without ration cards, the minister announced.
However, on 13 December 2023, the government had announced that the authorities from both the central and state government, as well as individuals paying income tax and possessing sugar cards were required to submit information about the extent of the losses they have incurred. Additionally, they had to provide their bank account details at the ration shops to access financial aid. The government will then verify their claims and deposit the assistance directly into their bank accounts. This effectively reduced the number of claimants.
Current Situation
Many flood victims, despite applying, have not received the promised Rs 6000 relief. Allegations arise that the corporation did not conduct damage surveys. Some applicants say they were randomly contacted for details, but a significant number did not receive any calls. The lower-floor residents in Chennai suffered the most. Determining the applicants’ floor level without direct visits poses a challenge. Over 40 days post-disaster, countless homeless individuals await government relief, causing distress. The delay has surpassed expectations, and victims demand immediate flood relief from the government.
Many downtrodden families have lost their wealth and family to the disaster. The Tamil Nadu government should re-consider the scale of the damage and hasten to provide the promised monetary relief to the affected families.
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