No central help for Wyd yet but state hopeful: CM

T'puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the assembly that Centre has not provided any help for landslide-hit Wayanad even when it gave financial assistance to several other states. However, the state has not lost hope and expects help from Centre for the rehabilitation process, he said.
"There has been no assistance from the central govt so far for the Wayanad disaster.Centre has sanctioned funds for states where disasters occurred after the Wayanad landslide. We have not lost hope. The last cabinet meeting had urged Centre to provide the assistance soon," the chief minister said during the question hour.
Vijayan said that there is severe unrest among the people of the state due to the delay in providing financial assistance. The state sincerely hopes that Centre would provide assistance without any delay. The state cabinet meeting had discussed this issue very seriously. There is hope that the central govt would help, he said.
In the preliminary assessment related to the landslide in Meppadi panchayat, the total estimated damage is Rs 1,202cr. Of this, the actual loss falling within the guidelines of the state disaster response fund (SDRF) is Rs 614.6cr.
However, financial assistance from the disaster response fund is not sanctioned based on the actual loss. The maximum amount that can be accounted for under the guidelines of the disaster response fund is Rs 219.2cr. There is also an estimated damage of Rs 587.5cr in areas not yet included in the guidelines of the SDRF. Accordingly, a memorandum for financial assistance of Rs 1,202cr has been submitted to the central govt based on the preliminary assessment, said the chief minister.
The ministry of home affairs recently allocated financial assistance to 14 flood-affected states, including Kerala. A total of Rs 5,858.60cr was allocated to these states as the central share in the SDRF and as an advance from the National Disaster Response Fund.
The allocations are as follows: Maharashtra received Rs 1,492cr, Andhra Pradesh Rs 1,036cr, Assam Rs 716cr, Bihar Rs 655.60cr, Gujarat Rs 600cr, Himachal Pradesh Rs 189.20cr, Kerala Rs 145.6cr, Manipur Rs 50cr, Mizoram Rs 21.6cr, Nagaland Rs 19.2cr, Sikkim Rs 23.6cr, Telangana Rs 416.8cr, Tripura Rs 25cr, and West Bengal Rs 468cr. Meanwhile, Kerala had requested Rs 3,000cr, and when compared to other states, Kerala has been allocated a very meagre amount, said the chief minister.