No Special Funds Given By Centre For Wayanad Landslide Relief: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday criticized the central government for failing to provide specific aid or financial assistance for relief and rehabilitation efforts following the Wayanad landslides, which resulted in over 200 fatalities.

During a press conference, Vijayan stated that while the Centre had pledged support for these efforts, no financial aid has been received to date. He mentioned that the state had requested Rs 219.2 crore in urgent assistance in addition to the Centre's allocation from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), but has yet to receive this funding.

"No Financial Assistance Provided By Centre"

The Chief Minister noted that the Centre had previously sanctioned the first installment of Rs 145.6 crore from a total share of Rs 291.2 crore in the SDRF. The second tranche of the same amount has now been approved as an advance, according to a Press Information Bureau release from October 1. He emphasized that this was part of standard procedure rather than a special financial allocation for disaster relief.

"Though there was a promise to provide assistance to the state following the Wayanad disaster, no special assistance has been provided till now," he added.

Therefore, the cabinet decided, on Thursday, to bring this matter to the attention of the Centre and request it to provide appropriate assistance as soon as possible, he told reporters.

The CM said that the cabinet also decided to give Rs 10 lakh each to the six children who lost both their parents in the Wayanad landslides and Rs 5 lakh each to the eight children who lost one of their parents in the disaster.

"The funds will be provided by the Department of Women and Child Development," he said.

The Cabinet meeting has also decided to construct a model township at Nedumbala Estate in Meppadi Panchayat and Elstone Estate in Kalpetta Municipality, as they have been found to be most suitable for the rehabilitation of the victims of landslide disaster, he said.

He further said that the legal issues related to the acquisition of these lands were discussed with experts, including the Advocate General.

"Since it is very important to get a place early, the Cabinet has given permission to take possession of these lands under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Therefore, there will not be much delay in getting the land for rehabilitation," he said.

The CM said the families who lost their homes and land in the calamity will be rehabilitated in the first phase and thereafter, the others whose homes are uninhabitable.

The Wayanad District Collector will publish the draft list of beneficiaries who will be included in the first and second phases of the rehabilitation, he said.

Besides these, the cabinet also decided to give a government job to Shruti, who lost her entire family in the Wayanad disaster and later, her fiance in a road accident, Vijayan said.

Along with this, the cabinet also decided to give Rs 7 lakh to the family of Kozhikode resident Arjun who died in a landslide in Shirur in Karnataka, the CM said.

(With inputs from PTI)