Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Annamalai on Monday claimed that the DMK government had not learnt its lessons from the recent cyclone and flood in Chennai and its neighbouring districts and the subsequent unprecedented rainfall and flooding in the four southern districts, but was instead blaming the Centre.
Speaking to journalists at Tiruchi airport, Mr. Annamalai said the four southern districts of Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanniyakumari had lost their productivity following heavy rainfall and flooding. It would take at least two years for these districts to regain their productivity.
Nearly 85% of the salt pans in Thoothukudi and paddy fields had all been devastated in the massive flooding, he said, and added that Tamil Nadu would lag behind in industrial output and productivity for six months every time the State witnesses heavy rainfall if it was not handled properly in the long term.
The Centre would definitely provide compensation to Tamil Nadu. But the DMK government was only spending time blaming the Union government and passing the buck. If it continued in the same vein, the DMK government would not be able to handle the next flood, Mr. Annamalai claimed.
