Pinarayi Vijayan calls on MPs to protest delay in disaster relief for Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged Kerala's Members of Parliament (MPs) to raise their voices regarding the delay in receiving disaster relief for the recent landslides in Wayanad. In a meeting with MPs, the Chief Minister expressed concern that Kerala had yet to receive any special financial assistance from the Centre for the landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala, which has hindered the state’s relief efforts.

The Kerala government has requested a special package of Rs 24,000 crore and an increase in the borrowing limit to 3.5 per cent due to a significant reduction in the Centre's allocations and grants. The Chief Minister pointed out that the central government had not yet released funds allocated by the 15th Finance Commission to local bodies, the amount designated for the National Health Mission, or the arrears related to the University Grants Commission's salary revision. He added that MPs must unite to push key projects such as Vizhinjam and AIIMS.

The state has requested an initial sum of Rs 1,202 crore from the Centre for disaster relief. "The Centre has provided assistance to other states without a formal request, yet Kerala has not received a single rupee in aid," the CM remarked. Kerala has already allocated over Rs 25 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund and the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for relief operations. However, the Centre has sanctioned only Rs 3.31 crore from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to support the families of those deceased and provide medical assistance to the severely injured.

On the Vizhinjam project, the central government had earlier committed to a Viability Gap Fund of Rs 817.8 crore but has now stipulated that this amount should be reimbursed through premium revenue sharing. This change is expected to place a financial burden of up to Rs 12,000 crore on Kerala in the future. "This repayment condition does not apply to other states. Therefore, the repayment clause should be waived, and the fund should be provided as a grant," the Chief Minister said.

Here are the other issues the chief minister has asked the MPs to take up with the Centre:
Persuade the Centre to revise its decision to freeze the GIFT (Kochi Global Industrial Finance and Trade) City project in Aluva for which the state government had accorded administrative sanction. The proposed City, to come up in 220 hectares in Aluva, is expected to bring in direct investment to the tune of Rs 1,600 crore.

After the Food Security Act was passed, Kerala receives only 14.25 lakh tonne of food grains from the Centre in place of its original allocation of 16 lakh tonne. Limits set for the monthly distribution of food grains are also detrimental to the interests of the state.

The need for All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) at Kinalur in Kozhikode.

Permission for foreign carriers to operate out of Kannur International Airport and the extension of SAARC/ASEAN Open Sky policy to the Kannur International Airport. (Presently, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode airports are included among the 18 tourist destinations available for ASEAN countries. The Centre has ruled out plans to include more cities/towns.)

Follow up on Thalassery-Mysuru, Nilambur-Nanjungode, and Kanhangad-Kaniyoor Panathoor Sabaril rail projects.

The Ministry of Railways has given only partial clearance to the Nemom terminal project. This is not enough to ease the congestion in the Thiruvananthapuram station.

The CRZ rules have been relaxed in only 66 grama panchayats. 109 more coastal panchayats should have their classification changed from CRZ-I to CRZ-II.