Wayanad: Kerala delayed to submit disaster assessment memo, says Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Kerala government of delay in submitting its assessment memo regarding the Wayanad landslides. The Union minister was giving the Centre’s response to Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s request, seeking Central assistance for the disaster rehabilitation, The Hindu reported.

Shah said that the state government took three and a half months to submit the necessary documentation of the incident.

It was on July 30 that landslides and flash floods hit Wayanad, the hilly district of Kerala. The disasters resulted in significant damage and displacement in the region. The Kerala government submitted a report with an estimate of Rs 2,219 crore costs for recovery and reconstruction.

According to the Union Home Minister, the Centre is committed to supporting those affected by the disaster, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been monitoring the situation closely.

Shah listed that the Centre had despatched four teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and three teams from the Indian Coast Guard, equipped for search and rescue operations. In addition to these, 14 columns of the Indian Army, along with helicopters from the Indian Navy and Air Force, were added to the rescue efforts. He reminded that the NDRF had successfully rescued 30 individuals and evacuated 520 others to safety.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Friday criticised the Centre and state governments for lack of clarity regarding the disaster relief and rehabilitation fund accounts in connection with the landslides that hit Wayanad in July this year.

A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P directed that the Finance Officer of the State Disaster Management Authority be present in person on Saturday to present the accounts.