Relief, rehabilitation must rise above politics: Priyanka Gandhi on Centre granting Rs 260 cr for rebuilding landslide-hit Wayanad

New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) As the Centre granted Rs 260.56 crore instead of the Rs 2,221 crore requested by the Kerala government for rebuilding landslide-hit Wayanad, Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP from the state's Wayanad district, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Saturday said that "what they received instead is neglect" and that "relief and rehabilitation must rise above politics."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to social media platform X on Saturday and said, “The people of Wayanad faced a devastating tragedy that demanded compassion, fairness, and urgent relief. Kerala requested Rs 2,221 crore to rebuild lives after the landslide, but the Central government sanctioned only Rs 260 crore — a fraction of what was needed."

She added, “The people of Wayanad, who lost homes, livelihoods, and loved ones, had hoped for meaningful assistance, especially after the Prime Minister’s visit. What they received instead is neglect.”

“Relief and rehabilitation must rise above politics. Human suffering cannot be treated as a political opportunity. The people of Wayanad deserve nothing less than justice, support, and dignity,” she said.

Earlier on October 1, more than a year after the devastating landslides struck Wayanad, the Centre sanctioned its first dedicated financial assistance for the district’s reconstruction.

A High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 260.56 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as against Kerala’s demand for Rs 2,221 crore.

The allocation is meant for rebuilding areas ravaged by the July 2023 landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala.

The July 30, 2024, disaster decimated four villages, injured hundreds, claimed over 200 lives, and left 32 people still missing.

The approval comes after 14 months of repeated pleas from the state government and elected representatives.

The Centre’s assistance, however, is only about 11 per cent of the funds sought through the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).

The committee cleared a total of Rs 4,645.60 crore for nine states.

Comparisons have already triggered criticism, as BJP-ruled Assam, which experienced landslides in 2022, received a much larger package of Rs 1,270.78 crore.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had earlier been granted Rs 1,658.17 crore and Rs 2,006.40 crore, respectively.

Kerala had earlier been sanctioned Rs 529.50 crore as a loan for disaster relief operations and an additional Rs 153 crore in July this year.

However, state leaders have long been pressing for a special package for Wayanad’s rehabilitation.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a delegation of UDF MPs led by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi met Home Minister Amit Shah in person to raise the demand.

Despite such interventions, no major announcement was forthcoming until now.

Both the ruling Left and the opposition Congress have accused the Centre of ignoring Wayanad’s plight despite the Prime Minister visiting the region in the aftermath of the calamity.

With the present sanction, the state government is expected to initiate the next phase of reconstruction works, though demands for a larger package to fully restore Wayanad remain strong.

Incidentally, in March this year, on the part of the state government’s Wayanad rehabilitation programme, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan laid the foundation stone for the project, which aims to provide 1,000 square feet houses on seven cents of land each to 402 select beneficiaries.

During his speech, CM Vijayan criticised the Union government for failing to provide adequate disaster relief, as the state received no Central aid and had only loans that the state must repay.

--IANS

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