Oppn slams govt over rehab, RKI

Thiruvananthapuram: As the memories of Pettimudy disaster were revived on its first anniversary last Friday, the opposition attacked the government in the assembly on Monday alleging a lukewarm approach on the rehabilitation and rebuilding process, specifically citing the slow progress of the much-touted Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI). The opposition alleged that the government was diverting funds provided by the World Bank for undertaking rebuilding initiatives.
Seeking the leave for adjournment motion on this subject, Kalpetta MLA T Siddique said that the rehabilitation and compensation for those who lost their lives and property in Pettimudy, Kavalappara and Puthumala are yet to be completed. Responding to the allegations, revenue minister K Rajan listed the activities undertaken by the government even beyond what the Centre’s guidelines said during such calamities. He said that the state has been offering more than twice the compensation amount as recommended by the Centre’s guidelines in such disasters. He said that the compensation for 46 families of the 66 who lost their lives in Pettimudy have been disbursed, and the remaining 20 will be completed this week itself. He said that the delay in disbursement of compensations of those remaining in these disasters are due to issues in their necessary records.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan, however, said that it is unfortunate that the revenue minister whose department is responsible for rectifying the records is making such excuses. He said that the opposition is not claiming that the government has not done anything for the victims, but whatever has begun has not been completed. Citing a reply by the revenue minister himself in the assembly, he said that there are 2,557 persons in Kozhikode alone, yet to receive financial assistance announced by the government.
“The opposition is not politicizing these matters, but it is our responsibility to raise them here. The basic step to be taken under risk mitigation during such calamities is to relocate people residing in such calamity-prone areas, which itself has not been done,” he said.
He slammed the government’s RKI citing that even though necessary funds are being earmarked every year in the budget, not a single rupee is being spent for programmes under RKI. He said that Rs 1,000 crore is being earmarked every year for RKI in the budget, but the expenditure is nil. In addition, the state received Rs 1,779.58 crore as the first tranche from the World Bank for RKI. The government has since 2018 cleared administrative sanction for projects only worth Rs 7,405.10 crore of which only Rs 460.92 crore has been spent, he said.
At the same time, crores of rupees have been spent on conducting conclaves, rent for hiring an office for RKI, furnishing them and appointing consultants, the opposition leader said. He further charged that Keralites world over contributed more than Rs 5,000 crore towards CMDRF and the government diverted all these funds for other purposes, delaying the rehabilitation, rebuild and compensation. The opposition later staged a walk-out after speaker M B Rajesh refused permission for adjournment motion on the basis of the reply by the revenue minister.