THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A special session of the Kerala Assembly on Thursday demanded further financial assistance from the Centre and a favourable stand on accepting foreign aid for post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction works.In a unanimously passed substantive motion, the House also recommended a special agency should be appointed for scientifically compiling statistics on flood damage and the rehabilitation-reconstruction activity.
Based on the final assessment, additional Central assistance should be sanctioned for rehabilitation and reconstruction, the Assembly said.The House also requested a favourable stand on accepting financial and technical expertise from foreign countries and international agencies, including the United Nations and World Bank.
As the state moves forward by accepting the ‘Build Back Better’ model to build a new Kerala, finding the funds for it poses an extraordinary challenge. The state will require international cooperation in financial mobilisation and technical expertise, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presented the motion.
“Though the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister visited the state during the flood crisis, the state expects continued cooperation for building a new Kerala,” the motion said.
As many as 55 lakh people in 981 villages across the state were affected. The death toll stands at 483. Fourteen people are reported missing while 140 were hospitalised with serious injuries.“As part of the unparalleled rescue operations, the number of people who were moved to 3,879 relief camps on August 21 stood at 14,50,707 from 3,91,494 families. Now, there are 305 camps catering to 59,296 people from 16,763 families,” the CM said.
305
Relief camps still operational
59,296
People remain at relief camps