Monday, February 7 2005 15:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The Centre's relief package for tsunami-affected fishermen should be fully subsidised and not subsidy linked loan assistance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the State Assembly.

Replying to a four-day debate on the motion of thanks to the governor for his address, she said the Centre's 'Rajiv Gandhi package for tsunami affected fishermen,' which envisaged 35 per cent subsidy for purchase of new fishing craft and the rest by loans from public sector banks had not satisfied fishermen.

Centre should reconsider its package and fully subsidise the purchase of fishing boats, she said adding she had written a letter to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on this.

She also opposed the Centre's scheme as it was sought to be implemented by the public sector banks, bypassing the State Governments. State Governments should be involved in the implementation of the package and the funds should be routed through the State Governments, she said.

Though the Union Home Ministry had directed various Ministries at the Centre to release the funds to the States, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's statement that the scheme would be implemented through banks, had created an 'unnecessary controversy', when the relief work was in full swing.

The Prime Minister, in his letter dated January 31 and received by her only on Feb 4, 2005, had also stated that the scheme would be implemented by banks.

"I have asked the Prime Minister to put an end to the unnecessary controversy," she said.