Local bodies and volunteers have played an important role in lending more than a helping hand to the flood-ravaged people in rebuilding their lives, Minister for Local Self-Governments A. C. Moideen has said.
He was speaking at an event organised at the city Corporation on Monday to felicitate volunteers and sanitation workers who participated in the relief and cleaning up work of the local body in the flood-hit regions.
“The general public have never had a high opinion about government employees and local body employees. But, now a change is visible. They are all now held in high regard by the public. They have all put in so much work without taking any leaves or without thinking of their own families. This change should be a model for the employees in their future work too,” he said.
He said that the government’s kits for those who have spent at least a day in a relief camp will reach all of them within a day. The financial aid of ₹10,000 will also be distributed to all the deserving people. Preventive medicines against leptospirosis have been made available everywhere. All those who are residing in flood-hit areas and those who took part in the voluntary work should consume the preventive medicines.
More than 1,500 sanitation workers, volunteers of the green army and others had participated in the cleaning up and relief material collection and dispatch work organised by the city Corporation. Certificates were distributed to everyone.
Mayor V.K. Prasanth said that local bodies have certain limitations in intervening in disaster-hit regions, but the sanitation workers, the volunteers and the councillors were able to tide over such limitations through their dedicated work. Fifty-two loads of relief materials were sent to most flood-hit districts including Idukki and Thrissur.
“Our society has for long looked down upon the present youth as those who are indulging in social media all the time. But, our youth have proven all of them wrong, with their tireless efforts following the disaster,” he said.