Jaya cracks the whip over slow relief work

In a surprise development late last night, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa ordered the reshuffling of collectors in the tsunami-hit region of the state.

In a move that signals a slowdown in relief momentum was bothering the chief minister, Nagapattinam Collector Veerashanmughamoney was replaced by J Radhakrishnan.

Radhakrishnan was the collector of Thanjavur. He got accolades for the way he handled the school fire in Kumbakonam in which hundreds of children perished.

Veershanmughamoney has been transferred to Thanjavur, a district that has escaped the wrath of the tsunami effect but has had to co-ordinate logistics as it has the biggest railway junction in the area.

The consensus is that after two weeks of managing relief and rehabilitation, and working virtually round the clock, some complaints against the district administration were inevitable.

Several fishermen's families in some areas today complained they had been given less rice than they had been promised, and that their home starter kits bore the legend 'bedsheet' inside, but the bedsheets were missing.

All this indicates two things "" one, that the fighting spirit of the families is returning; and the seriousness with which the Chief Minister is taking the disbursement of relief.

Although the physical disbursement of relief continues as before, the supply from philanthropic organisations is tailing off as the regions begin to return to normalcy, set of fishermen today ventured out in boats for the first time since the disaster despite rumours among a highly superstitious community that they should keep away from the sea for the next three to six months.

"All we see are the bodies that were strewn on the shores. I can't let my son go out just yet," said an old woman. However, boats went out today to augment the supplies of fish that are in real short supply as demand rises from hotels and restaurants in this temple town.

The general assessment among fishermen's co-operatives is that the income from export of shrimps, a big business in coastal Tamil Nadu, will be badly hit in the months to come.

This is as much a result of the loss of labour and boats as it is the destruction of the cold chain. However, going out to sea today -- fishermen sailing into the sea that has devoured so many of their brethren -- indicated the first steps towards normalcy since the fateful 26 December.