With the Centre denying permission to Ministers to go abroad for resource mobilisation to rebuild the State, Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) should take the lead to make significant contributions to the initiative, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Addressing Keralites in the United States through video conferencing on Wednesday, Mr. Vijayan said the donations received were too inadequate when compared with the requirements for rebuilding. As many as 17,000 houses were destroyed in the floods.
The Centre would provide only ₹95,000 for a house against the ₹4 lakh given by the State. While the Central aid for building 1 km road is ₹1 lakh, the actual expense is much higher. It was in this context that the government had decided to seek aid from NRKs, he said.
Individual participation should be ensured for the success of the fund mobilisation drive. The request for support elicited an encouraging response from NRKs during the UAE visit. He had discussions with the UAE rulers too. They hold Kerala in high esteem. NRKs evinced keen interest in donating a month’s salary, he said.
The crowd funding portal, rebuild.kerala.gov.in, would help to select projects for which people would like to offer financial support. The inability for Ministers to visit the US should not affect the resource mobilisation drive, he said.