Wayanad: Four months after the landslide, the state government is groping in the dark over the rehabilitation of Mundakkai -Chooralmala landslide victims. The first list has more than 550 beneficiaries, but it has yet to be finalised, and more than 700 families are still in rented houses scattered across the district. The state government prepared two lists of beneficiaries for houses; however, the lists have yet to be finalised.

The Meppadi panchayat had prepared a list of 512 beneficiaries who had lost their houses in the primary list. However, the government refused to accept it and later the all-party meeting held at Meppadi decided to alter the list adding 37 more families. Now the list is under the consideration of the state government but the release of the list has been delayed.

Further complicating the situation, the two plantation groups, Harrisons Malayalam Limited (HML) and the Elston estate, the lands of which were identified by the state government for acquisition for rehabilitation of the landslide victims, approached the High Court against the arbitrary move of the state government.

The state government had decided to acquire 60.41 hectares in the Nedumpala division at the Arappatta Estate of the HML group and 78.73 hectares at the Pulpara division near the Kalpetta by-pass of the Elston Estate.

Meppadi panchayat president K Babu said that the panchayat had prepared a list much earlier, which was put on hold as there were differences of opinion by a section over the listed families.

Despite raising the issue of delay many times, he said there is no hope so far for speedy rehabilitation of the victims. The government recently issued guidelines on rehabilitation. However, uncertainty looms over the land for rehabilitation purposes.

Though there were offers by individuals, and organizations including political parties and business groups to construct as many as 1034 houses, the government is yet to convene a meeting of those who evinced interest.

The Indian Union Muslim League had promised as many as 100 houses. Recently the leaders of the party met the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing their concerns over the delay in finalizing the land.

Public prosecutor Adv MK Jayapramod said that the entire land of HML across the state is government land, which the state can take over at any time. But when queried about the delay in the project due to the legal wrangle, he said that nobody can assure a time frame as the case can be dragged on to any extent.

Moreover, for the last two months, the financial assistance for the victims (Rs 300 for two persons of each family) who live in rented houses in various parts of the district has been unpaid.

"We are very much concerned about this delay in identifying the land for the project," said Mani Mundakkai, a landslide victim who now resides at the rented quarters at Munderi near Kalpetta. "For the healthy, it is not an issue as they can go in search of employment somewhere, but for those injured and aged, it is tough to survive," he said. According to the victims, they had received only two instalments of Rs 9000 for two months, and it has been pending for the last two months.