Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 17: Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Members belonging to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have donated their one month salary for relief and assistance to the earthquake affected people of Nepal. Senior DMK party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva handed over to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh a cheque along with a letter from DMK party patriarch and President, M.Karunanidhi.
Appreciating the gesture Dr Jitendra Singh said, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India was among the first to offer its assistance for rescue and relief work immediately after earthquake had struck in Nepal. The work done by the disaster management teams from India has earned worldwide appreciation, he said, and added that the long term rehabilitation will,however, carry on for several months and much more aid as well as financial assistance will be required for it.
Conveying his gratitude to the DMK chief, Karunanidhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the contribution made by the DMK legislators has a great symbolic and moral significance as well because it is also an expression of the common concern of people living in different parts of India including the southern State of Tamil Nadu.
Later, speaking to media, Tiruchi Siva said, Kalaignar Karunanidhi was keen that the DMK share of help should reach the earthquake victims at the earliest and therefore he had specially travelled to Delhi to personally hand over the cheque to Dr Jitendra Singh for depositing it in the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund . He said, in future also, the DMK party will always be there to cooperate with the Government of India in any hour of need or adversity.