O Panneerselvam to meet PM Modi seeking assistance for damages from cyclone Vardah

CHENNAI: Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday demanding that the Centre provide necessary assistance for damages caused by cyclone Vardah. The meeting comes days after the Tamil Nadu government wrote to the union government seeking to urgently sanction Rs 1,000 crore to the state from the National Disaster Response Fund to take up rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

An official release here on Sunday said that the chief minister will hand over a memorandum to Modi concerning various issues and seeking assistance for the damages caused due to the severe cyclonic storm. Cyclone Vardah that struck Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur and

Kancheepuram

districts on December 12 created a havoc damaging vital public infrastructure in the three districts. While thousands of trees were uprooted, the natural calamity hit power supply in almost all the affected parts.

On the other hand, Panneerselvam will also present a letter to the Prime Minister seeking the union government to award 'Bharat Ratna' to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Further, the chief minister will urge the Centre to take steps for installing a life size bronze statue for the AIADMK supremo in the Parliament complex.