‘Disaster of severe nature:’ Delay may have robbed State of chance to secure additional aid, says Pinarayi-OxBig News Network

The State government will make the best of the opportunities opened up by the Centre’s decision to treat the Wayanad landslides as a “disaster of severe nature,” although the delay in informing the State about the Inter-Ministerial Central Team’s (IMCT) assessment may have robbed Kerala of an the opportunity to secure additional assistance, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday.

Briefing the media on Cabinet decisions, Mr. Vijayan also urged the Centre to take steps to write off the loans availed by the landslide survivors in full.

On a December 30 letter from the Union Home Ministry regarding the IMCT assessment, Mr. Vijayan said that the IMCT had conducted its inspection and submitted the recommendation to the Centre with its assessment that it is “disaster of severe nature” within a month of the calamity. As the high-level committee did not meet, this recommendation failed to see the light of day for two months, Mr. Vijayan alleged.

Kerala had the opportunity to secure additional social assistance from UN institutions and NGOs, if the State government had been informed of it within two months of the disaster. There is an uncertainty in this regard now considering the occurrence of disasters elsewhere in the country after the Meppadi landslides. But the State government will continue its efforts in this regard, he said.

In view of the Centre’s letter, the State government will explore the possibility of using 25% of centrally-aided projects for disaster mitigation. The State can also demand an additional 50% of the allocation for the ‘Scheme for Special Assistance to State for Capital Investment’ for disaster mitigation and reconstruction. Further, Kerala can also request MPs across the country for allocation of funds for Wayanad rehabilitation, Mr. Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the December 30 letter (sent to Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Kerala), has no mention of any financial assistance or waiver of loans of the survivors.