Wayand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that central government would give all support to the Kerala government for relief and rehabilitation works in landslide-hit regions of Wayanad. Addressing the media here on Saturday during the visit to the affected areas, the PM asserted that the central government and the whole country will stand by the landslide survivors as well as Kerala government.
The state government will send a detailed memorandum to the central government seeking aid for the rehabilitation efforts. PM asserted that the central government will support the Kerala government generously after receiving this memorandum. He declared that no work for the survivors would be halted due to lack of money.
He pointed out that priority will be given to the future of the people who were displaced in the landslides. Modi recollected the massive destruction caused by Morbi dam collapse in 1979 while talking about the landslide. He added that he could understand the intensity of the disaster as he had served as a volunteer at the site of the dam collapse.
“ I assure you that central government will extend help to all works including infrastructure, housing, school construction and the future of children once the state forwards the request,” said the PM.
Though all eyes were on the PM's decision to declare the landslides as a national disaster, no announcement was made regarding this. Modi arrived in the hill district by helicopter from Kannur airport. He walked through the affected regions to assess the damage. Later, the Prime Minister visited the camp at Meppadi around 2.30 pm and spent nearly half an hour there, interacting with some of the survivors. He also visited the injured people at WIMS hospital.
On Friday, the state government sought financial aid of Rs 2000 crore from the centre for the rehabilitation of the displaced people in Wayanad.