Thiruvananthapuram: Even as Kerala continues to reel under floods, the state government on Wednesday decided to give an immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 to each affected family, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here.
Addressing the media soon after chairing the weekly cabinet meeting, Vijayan said the damage that has been caused this year is much less compared to the last years.
“This time the latest death toll is 95 and 1.89 lakh people are still in 1,118 relief camps across the state. Landslides have been identified as the main reason for the widespread damage this time,” the Chief Minister said.
“Every family who suffered the flood fury will be immediately given Rs 10,000, besides those who lost land and their homes. Those who lost their land will get a compensation of Rs six lakh and Rs four lakh will be given to those who lost their homes completely. If a family has lost both the land and the home, such people will get Rs 10 lakh,” he added.
The state government will be asking the State Level Bankers Committee to ensure that all transactions on account of floods, be it contributions to the Chief Minister’s Fund or payments to the victims, should be made free of charge.
“A cabinet subcommittee has been formed under the State Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan. He will assess the damages suffered by business and commercial establishments, while a committee of officials led by the Chief Secretary will prepare a memorandum to be submitted to the Centre to seek assistance for damages suffered,” said Vijayan.
He also said a lot of canards are being spread about the usage of the Chief Minister’s Fund which this is baseless.
