K Palaniswami: Waive freight charges for cyclone relief

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday urged the Railway Ministry to waive freight charges for relief material meant for cyclone Gaja affected districts in the state. Chief Minister K Palaniswami wrote to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, saying this "has been done in the case of recent Kerala floods."

"I request the Railways to waive the freight charges collected from donors for the relief materials sent to the stations in disaster-affected areas addressed to the District Collectors," Palaniswami said in his letter to Goyal. He told the Union Minister that seeing the plight of the 'hapless victims,' relief material were being mobilised from all over the country.

He said the cyclone, which crossed the Tamil Nadu coast on November 16, has 'devastated' the affected districts, with people having lost their homes, livestock, plantation and livelihood.

The CM also directed Collectors in affected districts to provide tarpaulin to the cyclone-affected people. Cyclone Gaja had crossed the Tamil Nadu coast early on November 16 between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam, about 300 km from Chennai. It left behind a trail of destruction in Nagapattinam district and also in several other districts claiming over 63 lives across the state.

Heavy rain likely in southern districts of TN: Weathermen
Isolated places in southern districts of Tamil Nadu are likely to get heavy rainfall, while Chennai may see cloudy skies and light rain in the next 24 hours, a Met official said on Friday.

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