The relief camps face threats of epidemics said the actor-turned-politician
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan today said the Tamil Nadu government is giving short shrift to the plight of people in cyclone-hit areas in the state, after visiting the affected region for a third time since November.
He alleged state government officials have not yet inspected several villages affected by the severe cyclonic storm Gaja that hit the coastal areas of the state in mid-November. The relief camps face threats of epidemics, he said.
"Even 30 days after the cyclone, people are looking for tarpaulins. The poor are being attended to at the end. Not many officials visited the affected areas," Kamal Haasan told NDTV.
Denying the allegations, the AIADMK government said it hasn't shied away from relief work.
Amid attempts by the Congress and other parties to unite non-BJP parties, the actor who launched the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam in February said his aim is "not to topple the state government but to help the people of Tamil Nadu."
Mr Haasan said opposition unity these days comes across as an effort to stitch together a "coalition to topple one government", and he doesn't believe in "going with the tide."
The opposition parties had also alleged that officials had not even visited the affected villages before assessing the damage to crops and houses.
Mr Haasan visited Perumalmalai, distributed relief material at many places including Koramkomb, and spoke with the affected people.
The yclone that hit coastal Tamil Nadu in mid-November killed 63 people and left 3.7 lakh homeless across Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Pudukottai.
The state government has estimated that the cyclonic winds uprooted 11 lakh trees, damaged over three lakh houses, destroyed hundreds of boats and about a lakh electric poles. While the Tamil Nadu government sought a relief package worth 15,000 crore, the centre has given an interim relief of Rs 350 crore for the state.