Wayanad landslides: Centre to announce special package soon, says KV Thomas

New Delhi/Kannur: KV Thomas, the Kerala government's special representative in Delhi, said on Monday that the Centre would soon approve a special package for the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide disaster. After meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Thomas confirmed that a decision would be made promptly and assured that there would be no further technical delays.

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has received the reports from both the central and state teams on the Wayanad disaster. The cabinet sub-committee will review the reports in due course, and a decision will be made soon. I informed her that it has been four months since the disaster, and the affected people are still facing distress. The team deployed by the Centre witnessed this situation firsthand. Timely action is required, and the minister assured that the package would be announced soon," Thomas explained.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the central government over the delay. He emphasised that Kerala was not begging for financial aid regarding the Wayanad disaster. "Is Kerala outside India? The Centre should not show favouritism when providing financial aid to disaster-hit states. This delay was not observed when approving packages for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and Gujarat," said Pinarayi. He was speaking at a public meeting during the Koothuparamba Martyrs' Day event in Kannur.

The Centre had previously informed the High Court that it would allocate Rs 154 crore to Kerala from the Central Disaster Relief Fund. However, it remains unclear how much will be allocated to Wayanad in the special package or when the funds will be disbursed. Kerala has requested a package of Rs 2,000 crore from the central government for relief efforts in Wayanad.