Cuddalore/Chennai, Dec 8 (PTI) Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said Tamil Nadu has sought a relief package from the Centre commensurate with the heavy damage suffered by the state due to cyclone Nivar.

An inter-ministerial Central team that assessed damage caused in Tamil Nadu due to the storm completed its task and called on Palaniswami at the Secretariat in Chennai and had a meeting with him on cyclone relief before leaving for Delhi.

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The eight-member team led by joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, Ashutosh Agnihotri surveyed regions including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore and Vellore besides Puducherry from Sunday. The team was briefed today and earlier as well about the extent of losses including damage to standing crops like paddy and infrastructure.

After his meeting with the Central team, Palaniswami visited Cuddalore and inspected several flooded farm lands and areas affected by the deluge in the district and held a review with officials on the situation.

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Later, the Chief Minister told reporters that Tamil Nadu has sought more funding towards relief from the Centre and it was commensurate with the severe damage caused by cyclone Nivar and subsequent rains.

The Central team, which met him at the Secretariat was also briefed about the requirement of funds to tackle the situation, he said.

Palaniswami, however, did not specify the amount of funding sought by Tamil Nadu towards cyclone Nivar relief.

"We have sought more funds as we have seen more losses. The Central team's visit was to assess the damage," he said adding one has to "wait and see" the relief package that would be announced by the Centre following a report by the union government's team.

Also, the state has requested that areas affected due to the recent cyclone 'Buveri,' should also be inspected, he said.

To a question on release of disaster fund by the Centre, Palaniswami said the union government had already disbursed it including a second instalment and the state government was spending it for relief measures.

"It is wrong to say that the Centre has not given disaster relief fund."PTI VGN SS

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)