ALAPPUZHA: A controversy has broken out over the lapses on the part of the state government and ministers in coordinating the rescue operations in flood-ravaged Kuttanad. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala lambasted the three LDF ministers from the district for their failure to come to the people’s aid.
“There are three ministers representing the district and yet nobody visited the affected areas even five days since the deluge. The people living in relief camps struggle for food and potable water. Though their health is fast deteriorating, neither the ministers nor the ruling MLAs chose to reach out to the flood-hit,” Chennithala said.
Thomas Chandy, the Kuttanad MLA, also failed to visit the region inundated by the worst floods witnessed in the last 20 years, he said. Express on Saturday had reported on the laxity shown by the people’s representatives.
Chennthala’s all-out attack came after his visit to the affected areas on Friday evening. Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar alone had visited the submerged paddy fields. With the ministers and people’s representatives failing to address the major issues, the people are encountering misery on a scale not seen before.
Sukumaran, a resident of Kuppapuram, said the state government has adopted a lackadaisical attitude towards the people of Kuttanad. “Several thousand people live in relief camps and the camps encounter food storage and unavailability of cooking gas and potable water. Only the local panchayat members and village authorities shared some of the people’s sentiments. However, they are arranging rescue operations on a massive scale. Except the Revenue Department, no representative of any other government departments, was present. Nonethess, several charitable organisations and religious bodies came to the aid ofthe affected people from the first day of flooding,” Sukumaran said.
However, Works Minister G Sudhakran accused the Opposition leader of playing politics at such a crucial juncture.“The government has extended all help to the affected people. The Civil Supplies Corporation has been distributing sufficient food materials and the Health Department is giving all help to those living in the camps,” he said.
Thomas Chandy said the Opposition’s charges are politically motivated.
“I have deployed my personal staff to provide service to the people in the flood-hit areas. Three boats were requisitioned in the areas for distributing food and other materials to the affected people from Monday,” he said.“I am giving top priority to the efforts to save precious lives and ensure the safety of the affected sections rather than drawing attention to myself by visiting the flood-hit areas,” he said.