Relief materials pile up at airport
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Even as the district administration has succeeded in coordinating the relief operations with the huge participation of young volunteers, around 30 tonnes of relief materials have been lying unattended for the past seven days in the storeroom of the technical area of the airport even after receiving clearance from the Customs Department. With all the collection centres in the city closed, the district administration has taken measures to transport the relief supplies, which are accumulated in the godown, to the respective destinations. Two days ago, the materials stored at Kanakakunnu Palace, which was the last collection centre, was sent to the relief camps at Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts.
Sources said the relief materials brought to the airport from August 20 are accumulated in the storeroom even after getting the clearance from the Customs Department. “Materials brought here from various states by aircraft from August 16 to 18 were sent to the collection centres and eventually to relief camps through volunteers. The District Collectors were entrusted to transport the materials to their respective relief camps. However, the movement of materials which were brought here from August 20 has been stopped since it was decided that the government should oversee the transportation of relief materials directly rather than handing over to the volunteers,” sources added.
The government took the decision after reports that several people were diverting the relief supplies and it was not reaching the deserving hands. Earlier, the Revenue Department issued a set of guidelines stating the respective District Collectors should make sure that a proper inventory and distribution system is in place at the flood relief camps.
In the guidelines, it was directed that each district should have a nodal officer for coordinating the procurement and distribution of food and non-food items meant for the affected people.
The directive came to strictly restrict the interference of people or organisations or associations at collection/distribution centres.
Meanwhile, District Collector, K Vasuki told Express that steps had been taken to clear out the materials which were stagnant in the storeroom of the technical area of the airport on Wednesday itself.
“It is untrue that the materials are lying unattended. In fact, we can take the materials once there is a need from the camps. So far, the relief materials are in surplus for all the camps in the state. So there will be requirements in the coming days and it would be sent based on the demands,” Vasuki said.
Vasuki has been in the limelight for the last one week for making efforts to coordinate the relief operations joining with youngsters. Since the Kochi airport was closed, a major chunk of relief materials landed in the airport here and at the technical area of airforce unit.
Waiting distribution
Around 30 tonnes of relief materials have been lying unattended for the past seven days in the storeroom. relief materials brought to the airport from August 20 are accumulated in the storeroom even after getting the clearance from the Customs Department