Wayanad disaster relief: Kerala govt asserting its right, not seeking charity, says minister

Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan on Friday came down heavily on the Centre for withholding relief funds for the Wayanad landslide survivors and said that the state is asserting its right and not seeking charity.

The government has requested the Centre to declare the landslide that hit the Chooralmala and Mundakai regions in Wayanad a national disaster. However, they have not taken any action on listing the disaster in the category as per the NDRF norms and "intentionally neglecting the state," he said.

The minister accused the union government of deliberately delaying disaster relief to Kerala, describing it as a challenge to the state.

He pointed out that the Centre had failed to provide a clear response to Kerala's requests for assistance.

Rajan also dismissed the union government's claim that funds are available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), calling it misleading.

He said that the state would not accept the Centre's stance and would continue to fight for Kerala's rightful claims.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court will consider the case related to the Wayanad tragedy on Friday.

"The suo moto case registered by the High Court will come up before the court on Friday and we are looking for the stand of the union government in this regard," the minister said.

The disaster, which struck on July 30, devastated large parts of three villages --Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai--along with sections of Attamala in Wayanad.

As per the government, the deadly disaster claimed 231 lives, while 47 people are still missing.