Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the media for allegedly spreading "misleading" details about the state’s relief efforts for Wayanad landslide survivors, labelling it destructive journalism. He clarified that the figures in the memorandum submitted to the Union government requesting funds were falsely presented as the expenditure already made on relief activities. "The media attempted to discredit the government," the CM added.
He accused certain media outlets of spreading "false interpretations" to undermine efforts to rebuild Wayanad. "Those behind this agenda are trying to discourage contributions to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). This is not responsible journalism; it’s destructive journalism—a crime against society."
Vijayan acknowledged that not all media organisations were involved in this misinformation campaign, noting that some had withdrawn their allegations upon realising the truth. However, he condemned those who continued to push "manufactured controversies" to further political agendas by misleading the public. "A thorough analysis is needed to understand what has transpired so far," he added.
Vijayan also highlighted that a cabinet team of four ministers had been actively involved in overseeing the relief efforts in Wayanad from the very first day of the incident. One of the ministers remained on the ground for at least 50 days to ensure the smooth execution of these activities without any grounds for complaints. The government had also received significant help and assistance from various quarters.
Vijayan also provided a detailed breakdown of the government's financial assistance for relief efforts in Wayanad. “The government disbursed a total of Rs 6 lakh (Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF)) to each of the 131 families who lost their loved ones, amounting to Rs 5.24 crore from the SDRF and Rs 2.62 crore from the CMDRF.
Additionally, Rs 10,000 was provided to the families of the 173 deceased to cover funeral expenses. For those who required medical treatment, the government allocated Rs 17,16,000 to 13 individuals who spent over a week in the hospital and Rs 4,43,200 for those hospitalised for less than a week. Immediate relief of Rs 10,000 per family (Rs 5,000 from SDRF and Rs 5,000 from CMDRF) was provided to 1,013 families, totalling Rs 1.01 crore, Vijayan added.
