CP Rahul Gandhi writes to the PM requesting: A Financial Package for rehabilitation & assistance to families of de… https://t.co/xweJFby205 — Congress (@INCIndia) 1513531117000

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi today wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to declare a financial package for the rehabilitation of the victims of cyclone Ockhi The letter was written a day after Rahul took over as the president of the Congress party. In the letter, the Congress leader requested PM Modi put in place adequate measures for strengthening the weather updating system and an advance cyclone warning communication mechanism in the coastal areas.The Congress leader highlighted the sufferings of the cyclone-hit fishermen, whom he had met during his recent visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu on December 14.Gandhi also urged the prime minister for constructing seawalls and groynes along the vulnerable sea coasts of the two southern states.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kerala on December 19 to take stock of the post-Ockhi situation.The cyclone, which made a landfall on Lakshadweep on December 2, has so far claimed 71 lives in Kerala and 14 in Tamil Nadu.Thousands of houses and large areas of standing crops were damaged due to the cyclone.The rescue and relief operations have helped in the evacuation of over 2,391 people from Tamil Nadu and 8,566 from Kerala, while over 600 fishermen of both the states are still missing after the cyclone rampaged through parts of south and western India.A house-to-house verification process is underway to estimate the number of the missing fishermen.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought Rs 1,843 crore from the Central government to mitigate the damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi. Kerala has also demanded Rs 300 crore for immediate relief.Cyclone Ockhi, which in Bengali means 'eye', went on make landfall in Lakshadweep on December 2 and caused extensive damages to houses, power lines and other infrastructure in the islands and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.It dissipated near the south coast of Gujarat on December 6.