KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Union government to come up with some positive action to release funds from the NDRF and Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to extend help to Wayanad landslide victims.
“We need to get Wayanad back on track as soon as possible,” said the court, asking Additional Solicitor General A R L Sundaresan, who was present in the court, to use his good offices and get some positive actions from the Centre on the issue, including bank loan waiver. The court issued the order on a suo motu case relating to the prevention and management of natural disasters registered in the wake of the Wayanad landslides.
The state submitted that two parcels of land measuring 65.41 hectares in Vythiri taluk have been identified for the reconstruction of model townships to accommodate the disaster-affected families.
Township: ‘All amenities need to be set up’
As part of building the township in the places, land plots should be divided and house construction should be done in an eco-sensitive, and sustainable manner.
Internal roads, social amenities like Anganwadi, post office, school, health clinic, waste management facility, community hub, parks, market infrastructure etc. should come up, said the government.
The HC had on last Friday asked the Centre to respond to the report of the amicus curiae that no amount is released from the NDRF and PMNRF in connection with the relief for the Wayanad landslide victims. Senior advocate Rajith Thampan, the amicus curiae, had submitted that despite the lapse of more than 57 days of the disaster, the Centre has not awarded any grant or amount which the PM assured during his visit to Wayanad.
The amicus curiae had reported that the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana had been allocated a significant amount from the NDRF.
They were also given financial assistance from the NDRF without waiting for the final assessment of damage. However, Kerala has not received any significant amount, the report said