Purpose:
Convene a meeting relating to relief and rehabilitation. This meeting is mainly for sharing of information.

Attendees:
Government officials:
The Relief Commissioner, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru R.Santhanam, IAS was unable to attend because he had to meet the President at that time. On behalf of him, the Relief Commissioner C.V. Shankar participated in the meeting.

Asha Honor Team: Jeba Durai, Sathya Priya, Murali Mani, Chandravel, Dhanalakshmi, Uma

List of Participating NGO's
1. People's Watch
2. Bhoomika Trust
3. Auroville
4. Tata Relief Committee- Tata Consultancy
5. THAAIN
6. ICCW
7. Schumacher
8. Suyam Charitable Trust
9. Rejuvenate India Movement
10. Asha for Education
11. Oxfam India
12. Round Table India
13. Confederation of Indian Industry
14. Project Revive/Catalyst Trust
15. Rotary Club of India
16. Care India
17. World Vision
18. AID India

Government Steps:

1. Permanent Shelter: It will take a maximum of seven more months to give permanent shelters for the tsunami victims. Government will do this according to the CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) regulations – no construction in 0 - 200 m from the coast, minimal construction in 200 - 500 m, some more construction in the 500-1000 m.

2. Food Packages: Last time the government had given the food packages to the men. This time, the government is in the process of giving the packages to the affected areas only to the women for the next three months.

3. Boats:
Catamaran Rs.32, 000
Middle Size boat Rs.1.5 lakhs
Mechanized boat Rs.5 lakhs
It was planned by the fisheries department; they have details of who have lost boats/catamarans etc.

4. Scholarship: Tuition fee and exam fees will be given by the Government for both private and government schools, including medical and engineering colleges. Begins from 1/1/05 to end of next academic year June 2006
Procedure: Village Administrator officer should certify that the student was affected by tsunami.

5. Agricultural land: Plan to give compensation of Rs.2000 for small farmer and Rs.1000 for big farmer who lost their crops. The collector said that this compensation is not sufficient; further action will be taken.

NGO's brief presentation on long-term rehabilitation:
All NGO's presented their relief work done in tsunami-affected districts.

Asha Questions to Government:

1. How quick the remedial measures are taken for Health hazards by the Government?
The Government placed special medical camp in all the affected districts. They are permanent medical camp in most affected villages. Health hazards are the area where immediate action should be taken.

2. What is the procedure for Scholarship and when it will be implemented?
Tuition fee and exam fees will be given by the Government for both private and government schools, including medical and engineering schools. Begins from 1/1/05 to next academic year June 2006
Procedure: Village Administrator officer should certify the student that he/she is affected by tsunami.

3. How does the government identify the Tsunami affected areas?
The first relief measures are taken and given for the villagers directly affected by tsunami like loss of lives, huts. But there are indirectly affected villages where we have planned to provide support for those villages. We asked for the list of villages, which are uncovered by the Government from the NGO's

4. Any relief packages for agricultural laborers?
Plan to give compensation of Rs.2000 for small farmer and Rs.1000 for big farmer who lost their crops.

5. Jeba explained what Asha has done in the short-term, and what Asha is going to do in the long term:
(a) Focus on youth looking for self-reliance activities for their livelihood.
(b) 41000 children's books has been bought from tulika
(c) Children's toy sets will be distributed to all tsunami affected schools. Jeba has also given the list of villages where food has not reached. The collector said that action will be taken with a week, and he will let Jeba know.

6. Chandravel reported on the necessity of counseling to the children. Also he inquired about the government plans to give employment to the affected people. Right now, the government is not focusing on employment; the government will look into it after some time.


General comments from all NGOs to the Government:

1. People in the villages are not willing to go for fishing because there are people who have not received boats for fishing. So it is not applicable in the affected villages by giving one - four boats per village. The people who got the boat are not going for fishing and are waiting for all the people to get the boats.

2. Youth group are left out in the Government schemes

3. They are indirectly affected villages where no support was given from Government side.

General suggestions from the Government:

1. Don't buy any land of your own to start any activities in the affected areas. Any land purchase has to done with the Government's consent.

2. While distributing the boats, the information should be passed on to Assistance of Directory's about to whom the boats are given and how many people are receiving it.

Quotes:

“This is great opportunity for receiving and presenting about the relief work done by various NGO's for tsunami-affected people. This meeting created a common place for sharing of information, which makes a linkage for networking with other NGO's for providing support to the people as long-term rehabilitation. Government gave an arena for exchange of information's from their side as well as NGO's. This meeting was very informative and happy to be one among all.”
M. Sathya Priya

“This meeting made me feels really good to know what other people are doing and their works. Government showing good sign of interest through good people's to put into action.”
L. Dhanalakshmi

“Interesting to see government functioning from close quarters. Glad to meet Prashant Hedao, and to see that he is continuing to use his expertise in GIS here in India.”
Murali Mani

“The government is doing a very good job. It is very good experience to share our long term goal to the government as well as to other NGOs, and I came to know that some NGOs are willing to work with us for the long-term livelihood. It is a great opportunity for me.”
Jeba Durai