A special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday focussed on expediting the rehabilitation of families displaced by the devastating landslides in Wayanad.
Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan presented a draft rehabilitation plan that reportedly includes proposals from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for the construction of 1,000-square-foot single-storey houses for the survivors from Mundakkai and Chooralmala, which were severely impacted by the landslides in July.
In the initial phase, the rehabilitation strategy is expected to prioritise those who lost their houses. The government also plans to convene a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister with benefactors and organisations that have pledged support for the rebuilding efforts.
Besides, a dedicated panel will oversee the development of the proposed townships, and land acquisition processes will be accelerated to begin construction at the earliest.
Final decision
Official sources stated a final decision on the proposed plans would likely be made in the next Cabinet meeting.
The special Cabinet meeting follows the release of the first draft list of 388 beneficiaries by the Wayanad district administration recently. The purported exclusion of affected families and the duplication of names have triggered protests, with several survivors staging a sit-in at Meppadi.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is facing mounting pressure over delays in the rehabilitation effort. Adding to the challenges, the land identified for permanent resettlement near Nedumbala and Kalpetta are mired in legal disputes.
Demand for Central aid
Furthermore, the government’s repeated requests for a special recovery and reconstruction package of ₹2,219 crore from the Union government is yet to yield a response. The issue was recently raised at the recent winter session of Parliament. A delegation of parliamentarians from Kerala, led by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the Centre’s support.
Published – December 22, 2024 10:00 pm IST