Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Culture and Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam has categorically ruled out the possibility of declaring ‘Cyclone Okhi’, which ravaged Kanniyakumari District in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala near Trivandrun, as a national calamity.

“We would, however, provide all kinds of help to the concerned State Governments in mitigating people's difficulties in the aftermath of the cyclone,” Alphons said.  After Cyclone Ockhi hit the southern-most parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Friday, the Govt. of Kerala was quick to appeal to the Centre to declare it as a national calamity.

Alphons, who was in Trivandrum yesterday, held consultations with Kerala's Marxist chief-minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the counter-calamity measures that had been put in place.  Speaking to newsmen later, the Union Minister said that the Centre had provided all sorts of relief material to the State Government.

"The Centre doesn't have any idea to declare 'Cyclone Ockhi' as a natural calamity," he said and added that the States received information about the cyclone striking their coasts only on 30th November (last Thursday), which gave them very little time to react or put precautionary arrangements in place ahead of the calamity,” he concluded.