Thrissur: Kerala flayed the Central government for not offering sufficient assistance following the landslides in Wayanad. Revenue Minister K Rajan accused the Centre of failing to provide any financial aid for the Chooralmala landslide. "Kerala and the Centre are not enemies. Hence, the Centre should act as a guardian when disasters occur," Rajan said.
The Kerala government has submitted all the required details about the landslide, including the damage figures and a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) as per official norms. However, Rajan stated that the Centre has not informed the state of any errors in the provided data or shared information on the financial aid that may be allocated for relief.
He emphasised that the Centre had not responded with any specifics about the amount of aid after reviewing the state's memorandum. "We have submitted the damage details without any mistakes. We haven't received any feedback on the amount to be given for relief," Rajan said.
K Rajan said that both the ruling and opposition parties should work together to ensure that the survivors of the Wayanad landslide receive the necessary assistance from the Centre. He urged that the ruling and opposition parties should not fight among themselves or make separate statements about Chooralmala. The minister reminded the opposition to present their demand to the Centre as a united front.
Both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF in Kerala have called for the landslide to be declared a "national disaster," so that the state can receive more relief and rehabilitation funds. However, the Centre has denied this request, citing that there are no provisions to declare a disaster as a "national disaster" under the current guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The landslide, which occurred on July 30, caused massive destruction in parts of three villages—Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai—along with parts of Attamala in Wayanad. The disaster claimed 231 lives, and 47 people are still missing.
