Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), Dec 14 (IANS): Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi on Thursday promised the families of fishermen who went missing during cyclone Ockhi that the Congress will raise their issues in Parliament and put pressure on the Central and Tamil Nadu governments to ensure relief for them.

Gandhi, who met the families in Chinnathurai in this southern-most district of Tamil Nadu, said their problems could be better addressed if there was a separate Ministry for Fisheries at the Centre whom the distressed people can look up to.

"I would have been normally happy coming here but not so in the present circumstances. Whatever help we can provide you, we will do. We are in opposition both at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu. We will bring pressure on both the governments to do the needful for the families which have lost their breadearners," he told the women who poured their grievances to him.

Gandhi said: "We will put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Central government in Parliament. We will raise your issues strongly so that you get some relief."