Kerala rains: State government announces ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh

Those who lost land will get Rs 6 lakh from the state, and people whose houses are completely destroyed will get Rs 4 lakh, the CM said.
Kerala rains: State government announces ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh
Kerala rains: State government announces ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh
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With incessant rain wreaking havoc in Kerala, the state has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased. The government will also provide Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who have lost land and property.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made the announcement in Wayanad on Saturday during his visit to the flood-hit regions.

“Rs 6 lakh will be given for those who lost their land, and Rs 4 lakh for those whose houses has been completely destroyed. Rs 3800 each will be given to those families housed at relief camps. Special assistance will be provided for those who lost animals,” the Chief Minister said, while he was speaking at an assessment meeting held at the Collectorate.

Special adalats will be conducted for those who have lost documents like ration cards and other IDs, and no fee will be charged for this. Officials have been given instructions to urgently decide on the date of the adalat. Students who have lost textbooks, will be given new ones. Swift action will be taken to repair flood-damaged roads, the CM announced.

Ministers E Chandrasekharan, Kadannappally Ramachandran, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, among others, were present at the assessment meeting.

The Met Department said on Saturday that the highest rainfall recorded this week was in Nilambur and Malappuram, which saw 40 cm of rain. Munnar and Peerumedu saw 25 cms each on August 9, 2018.

Prior to this, the highest rainfall recorded in Idukki was 22 cm in 2013. The highest ever rainfall recorded in Kerala was in Vythiri in Wayanad district, on 28 October, 1961, which saw a whopping 91 cm.

The Chief Minister reiterated his earlier statement when he said that the state has witnessed an unprecedented distress. “29 people died in three days, the disaster caused a loss of crores of rupees, hundreds of houses are destroyed, it will take months for people’s life to come back to normal,” he said.

The government has also opened a special account so those who want to contribute towards relief and rehabilitation can send money here. The details are:

Account number: 67319948232

Branch: SBI City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram

IFSC: SBIN0070028

The contributions to this fund are exempted from income tax.   

The CM began his inspection at 7.30 in the morning by a special chopper. 

Meanwhile Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking funds for the state to return to normalcy.

 Describing the floods as the most severe disaster the state has seen in the last five decades, Rahul said: "At this juncture, it is critical to acknowledge the looming humanitarian crisis facing Kerala. I request you to release sufficient funds immediately to the state government, to enable the state to respond effectively, and work towards restoring critical infrastructure.”

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