A high-level team comprising officials of the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Union Finance Ministry will reach the State on Tuesday to hold discussions with the government to extend assistance to overcome the devastation caused by the recent floods and rebuild Kerala.
The team will hold day-long discussions with top government officials on Wednesday to get a feel of the devastation and the sectors that need assistance, sources in the World Bank told The Hindu.
The team will look into the damage caused to roads, bridges, public buildings, water distribution systems, and the power sector . The losses to the ongoing projects funded by the WB such as the Kerala State Transport Project and drinking water supply projects by the ADB will also figure at the meeting.
Based on the assessment, sources said, the WB and the ADB would decide on the quantum of assistance to be given to the State and extension of loans provided by the two funding agencies for various projects.
Hisham Abdu, acting country director, WB, Kenichi Yokoyama, country director of India Resident Mission of the ADB, and the Director, Finance Ministry, are learnt to be in the team.
The team is likely to call on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Chief Secretary Tom Jose.
The visit follows a request for assistance by the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister, citing a loss of ₹19,512 crore as per initial assessment.
The State, which asked for ₹2,600 crore as immediate assistance, has so far received ₹600 crore.
KSEB hit
In the power sector, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had to switch off 4,000 transformers following the floods and the majority of them have to be replaced.
The board needs crores of rupees for rebuilding its distribution infrastructure.
The Public Works Department also needs a sum of ₹5,815.25 crore to execute short-term and long-term works to restore 11,000 km of PWD roads and 3,000 km of NH corridors that have been damaged in the floods and landslips.
The sources said the funding agencies would respond positively to the State’s demands for assistance to restore the infrastructure.