AIADMK seeks white paper

  • 28/03/2008

  • Tribune (New Delhi)

The AIADMK yesterday demanded a white paper on the expenditure of flood relief funds announced by the Tamil Nadu government as untimely torrential rain lashed the state taking the death toll to 20, while crops worth more than Rs 100 crore have been damaged. Leaders of most of the political parties felt that the state government's Rs 100-crore compensation package was not enough as many districts had been flooded and property also damaged. Though the exact damage to crops is being assessed by revenue and agriculture department officials, more than 1500 acres of crops are inundated. Horticulture crops, for which Tamil Nadu is reputed, and grape orchards, drumsticks and chilli cultivation along with paddy have been severely affected. According to unofficial estimates, around 80 per cent of crops damaged in the rain had not been insured. AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa has criticised the DMK government for miserably failing to respond to alleviate the undue sufferings of the people due to heavy rain leading to floods in many parts of the state.