TN CM Jayalalithaa announces Rs five crore in support to Uttarakhand

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced a sum of Rs five crore as a "token of support and solidarity" to the rain-ravaged state of Uttarakhand, facing its worst natural calamity, and assured "any assistance" to the Himalayan state.

She said Uttarakhand was faced with a very major task of ensuring effective and immediate rescue, relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction of the "devastated" areas in the coming days.

"As a token of support and solidarity of the Government and people of Tamil Nadu with Government and people of Uttarakhand in their hour of need, I have ordered immediate contribution of a sum of Rs 5 crore from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the Government of Uttarakhand," she said.

The heavy rainfall and landslides had caused extensive loss of life and property and untold suffering both to the residents of the affected areas and a large number of pilgrims and tourists visiting the holy shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Hemkunt Sahib, she said in statement.

The Government of Tamil Nadu "stands ready to render any other assistance as may be required by the Government of Uttarakhand," she said.

She recalled her government's steps to rescue and bring back pilgrims from Tamil Nadu stranded in Kedarnath and Badrinath and said 275 persons have been brought to Chennai as on June 22 and all facilities extended to them.

She assured extending the facilities to the rest returning from Uttarakhand.