The LDF government's post-flood reconstruction drive in Kerala came in for huge criticism from the Opposition in the Assembly on Tuesday. Incomplete houses, inappropriateness of the official Rebuild App, neglect of Malappuram and the diversion of World Bank funds were some of the charges that were hurled at the LDF dispensation.
Eventually, the Opposition staged a walkout saying the government has proved an abject failure in getting Kerala back on its feet after two consecutive floods.
Muslim League MLA P K Basheer, who moved the motion seeking the adjournment of the House to discuss the issue, said the entire Rebuild project was caught in red-tape. “You started the Rebuild Kerala Initiative in November, 2018. What reconstruction have you done in the 15 months since,” Basheer asked.
He said Malappuram district administration had not drawn up the beneficiary list of those who had lost their houses and agricultural land in the 2019 floods even after six months. “Have you published the beneficiary list anywhere,” Basheer asked. “When 196 people who had lost their homes met the collector he said he could not assure whether their names figure in the list or not,” he added.
Basheer said the government had no idea where the people who had lost their houses were now staying. He said the Rebuild Kerala Initiative had not convened even a single meeting with the people's representatives of affected regions. He also wanted to know why consultancy was given for the repair of rural roads. “Why was L&T (Larsen and Toubro) given the consultancy when we already had the KSTP (Kerala State Transport Project) that was doing commendable work since 2001,” Basheer said.
Later, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, too, questioned the arbitrary way in which consultants were chosen. “First you said the KPMG was doing consultancy for free. When questions were asked, they were removed. Now, you have brought them back,” Chennithala said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan did not respond specifically to any of the charges except to say that no districts were discriminated against.
Kerala Congress leader P J Joseph said that Rs 400 crore was enough to complete the construction of houses. “You have Rs 2,500 crore in the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. Use that to quickly complete the construction of houses,” Joseph said. The CMDRF has received Rs 4,765.27 crore and Rs 2,630.68 crore still remains unspent in the CMDRF.
Joseph also said the Rebuild App was striking down the names of the deserving from the list of beneficiaries. “Many houses the revenue officers had found fully damaged were found not damaged at all by the app,” Joseph said. An example he gave was of a house that was caught in a landslide in Idukki. “Debris had fallen on either side of it, leaving the front intact. Officials who visited the house found it was unfit to live. But a photograph taken using the app found the house intact and therefore the family was automatically removed from the beneficiary list,” Joseph said.
The chief minister, in his reply, just said that the app was working fine.
Congress legislator V D Satheesan once again raised the issue of the diversion of the first instalment of the World Bank's assistance. Last year, too, he had charged the government with diverting Rs 1,779 crore received from the World Bank.
On Tuesday, Satheesan said the WB funds came through the Centre. “But when the money was handed over on the condition that it should be transferred to the project (Rebuild Kerala Initiative) within seven days. If the money is not transferred, the state was bound to pay interest. Has the money been transferred to the RKI,” he asked. The Opposition leader, too, raised the issue.
The chief minister said the World Bank money had already been allocated to various departments like PWD, Agriculture, Water Resources, Forest and Fisheries. “The departments will be given money when the need arises,” Pinarayi said. He, however, did not answer whether the World Bank assistance was shifted to the RKI account.
