Tamil Nadu IAS Officers' Association contributes a day's salary of staffers to cyclone relief
Dec 07, 2023
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 8 : The Tamil Nadu IAS Officers' Association has stepped forward to bolster relief efforts in Chennai after Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc across the state capital.
The association demonstrated its commitment to supporting the state government in the ongoing relief operations by contributing a day's salary of its members to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund, an official release stated.
Cyclone Michaung made landfall in Tamil Nadu earlier this month, bringing with it heavy rains, strong winds, and subsequent damages to infrastructure and homes, apart from the loss of lives.
As the state continues to grapple with the aftermath of the severe cyclone, efforts are underway to extend necessary assistance to those affected.
In a briefing about the ongoing relief and restoration work in Chennai in the aftermath of the cyclone's landfall, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena on Thursday said 9,000 officials from other districts have been deployed in the city for relief work.
He further informed that the state government was trying to pump out stormwater from the low-lying areas.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a visit to Tamil Nadu earlier to assess the on-ground situation in the cyclone-hit state, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is distressed by the loss of lives in the state and is personally overseeing the response to the current crisis.
The Defence Minister said he was directed by PM Modi to personally monitor the situation.
"I took an aerial survey (of the affected areas of Chennai). Thereafter, I held a one-to-one meeting with the chief minister (MK Stalin) and a review meeting with the officials concerned. Together, we are putting up an effective response to the situation here and hopefully, things will improve further," Singh said.
The Defence Minister added that the first instalment of the central share of the State Disaster Response Force has already been released and Prime Minister Modi has directed the release of the second instalment in advance."
"PM Narendra Modi has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to release, in advance, the central share of the second instalment of the SDRF of Rs 493.60 crore for Andhra Pradesh and Rs 450 crore for Tamil Nadu," he said.
