Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has announced an ex-gratia Rs 5 lakh to the families of those died in the horrific train mishap in Odisha’s Balasore district.
He also declared Rs 50,000 compensation for the injured people. The Chief Minister expressed shock and condoled the death of those who lost their lives in the accident.
The State government has also announced a day of mourning and cancelled all government functions today.
The Chief Minister along with the Chief Secretary, DGP and higher officials. visited the control centres set up by the State government as 867 passengers had reserved for Chennai on the ill-fated Coromandel Express. He also enquired about the steps taken by the Odisha Government officials over a video call. Stalin also visited the helpline centre set up at Central Railway Station in Chennai.
The Government has made arrangements for a special train to carry the passengers of the relatives of the train accident. Arrangements have also been made for the injured and the others involved in the train accident to reach Chennai tomorrow.
State Ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin, S.Sivasankar and a team of higher officials have left for Odisha this morning.
The Centennial celebration of the DMK Patriarch and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi which was scheduled for today has been postponed. The Chief Minister along with ministers and the secretaries of the Government observed a minute silence after paying obeisance at the statue of Kalaignar Karunanidhi.
