After an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced an immediate release of Rs 1,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation works in Tamil Nadu.
"A sum of Rs 1,000 crore will be released immediately by the Government of India to carry out relief works. This will be in addition to Rs 940 crore which was released earlier (by the Centre)," he said in a brief statement at the naval base "INS Adyar" in Chennai.
Flanked by Governor K Rosaiah and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Modi began his brief statement with a sentence in Tamil saying telling people of Tamil Nadu, "I will be in support of you."
Switching to English, Modi said he has seen the damage and misery caused by the monsoon fury.
"People of India stay with people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need," he said after the survey in which he was accompanied by Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, who hails from Tamil Nadu.
Modi also tweeted later, "The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need."
"I have directed that Rs 1,000 crore be released immediately by the Govt of India to Tamil Nadu for immediate relief," he said in another tweet.
"I have seen the damage and misery caused by the extremely heavy rainfall," said another of his tweet.
The prime minister made the announcement after holding consultations with the chief minister at the naval base. Earlier, Modi arrived from Delhi at the naval working station 'INS Rajali' in Arakkonam, about 60 km from Chennai, and made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Chennai, its suburbs and Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts.
After an earlier spell of heavy rains and damage in November, the prime minister had announced release of Rs 940 crore to Tamil Nadu.
Watch the video of the prime minister making an aerial survey HERE.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the Central government is in touch with the state government and the Union Home secretary is continuously monitoring the situation in the affected areas.
"The Centre is providing all sort of assistance and will continue to help. Some naval and army forces have been mobilised and we have made arrangements of helicopters but all this we can do after the situation improves. Wherever it is possible we are trying to reach," he told media persons outside Parliament.
The Union Urban Development minister said the Chennai airport was shut and also public transport was not working.
"People are not in good situation so they have come out from houses and power supply has been halted as a precautionary measure and also schools have been closed.
"But, the situation of poor and middle class people is tense and government is making all possible efforts (to provide aid to them)," he said. He said Home Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement on the situation in both houses of Parliament on Thursday.
"I appreciate the residents of Chennai as they are helping each other. RSS and media organisations are doing service actively. During the discussion in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, everyone had expressed solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.
Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Governor K Rosaiah in Chennai. Photograph: PMO/Twitter
