THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The financial assistance to the families of Ockhi victims will be given at one go. An amount of `20 lakh - `10 lakh from the state government, `5 lakh each from the Fisheries Department and Fishermen Welfare Board - will be given to those families who have lost their breadwinners. The welfare board will give the money from its corpus fund. Considering the gravity of the calamity, assistance will also be given to the families of those who have not registered with the Fishermen Welfare Board.
While giving financial assistance to the victims’ families, Rs 5 lakh each will be kept aside for dependent parents and unmarried sisters. A share will be kept to support children’s education. Steps are being taken to give counselling to the victims and families. An amount of Rs 2 lakh each has been sanctioned from the Prime Minister’s Distress Relief Fund to the families of dead fishermen. The government will speed up measures to distribute that fund also, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
An amount of Rs 5 lakh will be given to those who have been seriously injured and who cannot find any other means of livelihood. Those whose houses have been damaged or lost will be provided houses under the LIFE Mission. The financial assistance of Rs 20,000, given to those injured, will be given to those who have left hospital after treatment. Those who have lost their fishing boats or those who have their boats damaged will be given financial aid equivalent to their loss.
Search for missing to continue
The Centre had been cooperative in extending search operations for the missing fishermen, said Pinarayi. The state has requested a financial assistance of `1,843 crore. The Centre has agreed to send a delegation to the state soon. Pinarayi said on Tuesday he had spoken to Union Defence Minister Nirmala Seetharaman, who is in favour of continuing the search operations by the Armed Forces.
Money pours into Ockhi relief fund
T’Puram: Contributions continue to pour in for members of the fishing community affected by Ockhi as people donated parts of their salaries to the CM’s Distress Relief Fund. Employees of Cherthala-based Travancore Mats and Matting Company handed over a cheque of D1 lakh to the fund through Minister G Sudhakaran. The chairman and members of Kerala Public Service Commission contributed D1.05 lakh - two days’ salary. The Kerala Gazetted Officers Association gave D5 lakh, while GAIL employees contributed D1.45 lakh. The Kerala Working Women’s Association contributed D1 lakh, while the Vanchiyoor Residents Association donated D50,000.
Ministers contribute a month’s salary to relief fund
T’Puram: The Chief Minister and other Cabinet ministers have contributed one month’s salary towards the special relief fund for victims of cyclone Ockhi. Directions in this regard were given to the Chief Secretary in the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters. He said relief measures were progressing at a fast pace. The families of the victims will not have to run from pillar to post to get legal assistance and officials will visit the victims’ houses, he said.
Church leaders submit memorandum to CM
T’Puram: The Latin Church on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe against government departments and officers who failed to issue timely warnings before cyclone Ockhi. In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Church leaders led by Archbishop M Soosa Pakiam and Vicar General Eugene Pereira demanded permanent institutional arrangements to prevent a repeat of Ockhi-like disasters and urged the state to put pressure on the Centre to declare Ockhi a national calamity.