TN govt boycotts governor's review meeting at Raj Bhavan

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday boycotted a review meeting convened by governor R N Ravi in Chennai on the flood situation in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and neighbouring districts.

"No official from the state government attended the meeting, though a request was sent to the chief secretary, government of Tamil Nadu, to send a representative," said an official release from Raj Bhavan. Asked about the governor's meeting with the various departments, chief minister M K Stalin told reporters in Delhi, "The Prime Minister convened meetings during Covid-19 pandemic and gave advisories.

Had the President done something then, what would have been the reaction? Same reaction now." Stalin was in Delhi to attend the India Bloc meeting and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek funds for TN flood relief and rehabilitation. Confirming the invite extended by the Raj Bhavan, chief secretary Shiv Das Meena told reporters on Tuesday morning in Chennai that the state government would certainly send a representative to attend the meeting with central agencies to extend assistance to the state. "A senior official will take part," the officer had stated earlier in the day.

But there was no government representative at the meeting. At the Raj Bhavan, Ravi reviewed the rescue operations undertaken by the central agencies and defence forces in the flood-affected districts. The meeting was attended by senior officials of armed forces, coast guard, NDRF, southern railway, Airports Authority of India, BSNL, India Meteorological Department and Indian Red Cross Society.

The meeting was held to review the flood situation and on-going rescue and relief operations to bring about better coordination and to mobilise additional resources for the rescue and relief efforts in the affected areas. "Some agencies raised concerns about the absence of coordination in the deployment of personnel and a lack of appreciation of the overall situation in the affected districts, due to which they have no clear idea about the exact resource requirements and priorities in their deployment," the release said.

Officers of the central agencies shared the "grim situation, especially in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli." The agencies updated the governor, saying they had placed their resources at the state's disposal and were doing so as and when requested by the state. Dismissing the charges made in the Raj Bhavan press release, finance minister Thangam Thennarasu said that there was good coordination between the state and central agencies