THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the central government of denying Kerala the assistance it rightfully deserves following the Mundakkai-Chooralmala disaster. He said the centre has not granted even one-eighth of the relief amount sought by the state.
The state requested Rs 1202.12 crore as immediate relief and Rs 2221.03 crore for reconstruction. The chief minister said that the centre has so far sanctioned only Rs 260.56 crore and that this amount is grossly inadequate and does not meet even a fraction of the actual need.
The chief minister further said that even though the state had also appealed to the centre to waive the loans of the disaster-affected people, no action has been taken. Instead, Section 13 of the National Disaster Management Act, which facilitates such loan waivers, was removed. Citing this amendment, the centre has now officially informed the High Court that loan waivers for the disaster victims are not permitted under the law, noted the chief minister.
The CM added that Kerala submitted its first memorandum soon after the disaster, on August 17, 2024, and a detailed Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report was submitted on November 13, 2024.
He stated that though both submissions were made while Section 13 was still in effect, it was only on March 29 this year that the centre notified its removal. He called the move inhumane and unjust.
He also pointed out that it took the centre five months to officially declare it as a disaster of ‘severe nature’. This delay blocked international aid possibilities, added the CM.
Pinarayi Vijayan said there is rising public anger over the centre's neglect of Kerala. Claiming that, though the people of Wayanad looked up to the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the disaster with hope, it turned out to be “a photoshoot managed by PR agencies. He urged the government to respect the rights of the state and its people and to provide the support they are entitled to without further delay.