THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has said the state government has failed on all counts in the post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction of the state. He was speaking to reporters here on the 100th day after the devastating floods which left 483 people dead, 14 missing, 14.5 lakh people in relief camps and unimaginable destruction to properties.
Chennithala reiterated his stance that the flood was man-made and that the opening of the shutters of various dams together led to the unprecedented flow of water causing the devastating floods in the state. Chennithala criticised the government’s failure to provide the minimum relief money of Rs 10,000 to the flood victims. “Even V S Achuthanandan’s sister-in-law had to go knocking at the door of the village office for five times to get the compensation,” he said.
Even in his constituency, several people have still not received the money, he added. The Opposition leader said the chief minister had announced Rs 10 lakh interest-free loan to small and medium-scale businesses which had suffered huge damage in the deluge. However, not even a single businessman has received any fund as promised, he alleged. The Kudumbashree project to provide Rs 1 lakh to all those who have lost their household equipment also failed, he said. While the government had to provide Rs 997.06 crore, the amount distributed was only Rs 308.81 crore.
Alleging that the government has failed in even assessing the total loss incurred, he said, while the government assessed total loss of Rs 40,000 crore, the World Bank and ADB team assessed Rs 31,000 crore and UN agencies in its PDNA pegged the loss at Rs 26,000 crore.
As many as 16,661 houses were totally destroyed and 2.21 lakh homes partially damaged and very few got the compensation from the government, he said. The CMDRF received Rs 3,633.77 crore till now and he sought clarification on how the government is going to rebuild the state.