BJP member in Rajya Sabha seeks interim rain relief for UT

S. Selvaganabathy, said the Puducherry and Karaikal regions have seen unprecedented rains this northeast monsoon and the government needed financial assistance for rain relief work

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) S. Selvaganabathy, has urged the Union government to provide interim financial assistance to the Union Territory to take up rain relief work and to provide compensation to those affected.

Speaking at zero hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, he said Puducherry and Karaikal regions have received unprecedented volumes of rainfall in the last one month. Both the regions usually receive an average of 76.7 cm of rainfall during the entire Northeast monsoon period. After the onset of the NE monsoon this year, the UT received 83.4 cm in November alone. Crops in around 3,950 hectares of land sustained damage in the rain. Around 12,000 farmers have been affected in the heavy rains, he said.

After the Central team visited, rains continued in Puducherry and Karaikal regions. The Puducherry government has estimated the loss to be around ₹300 crore. The UT administration was facing a severe financial crisis. The government will find it difficult to divert funds meant for other schemes to provide relief, the BJP member said.

“The weathermen have predicted more rains in both the regions in the coming days. I request the Central government to immediately provide interim rain relief to UT,” he added.

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