In his first communication as Congress president to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote to him, seeking relief measures for the people struck by Cyclone Ockhi in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep, and hoping that Modi would visit the cyclone-hit areas in the coming days.
Rahul has sought a special financial package for the cyclone-hit states to undertake rehabilitation and provide financial assistance to families of deceased fishermen.
The Congress leader, who visited the areas hit by the cyclone on December 14, reminded Modi that he was yet to visit the states. “In this time of grief and pain, it is but appropriate that you will be visiting the affected regions in the coming days. I visited some of the affected areas in Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the 14th of December, 2017,” he wrote.
“The cyclone has caused tremendous damage to the lives and livelihood of our people. In these challenging times, our fishermen deserve a helping hand from our Government,” Rahul said in the letter.
Rahul also requested Modi to put in place adequate measures for strengthening the weather update system and advance cyclone warning communication mechanism in the coastal areas. He also urged the government to facilitate construction of seawalls and groynes in the vulnerable sea coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.