Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday, December 10, said that no communication has been received from the Kerala government regarding assistance towards landslide rehabilitation in Wayanad. This comes at a time when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are in a war-of-words over the allocation of rehabilitation funds by the Union government.
Siddaramaiah, on August 3, had announced that the Karnataka Congress government was ready to undertake the construction of 100 houses for those affected by the unprecedented landslides in Wayanad, which ravaged the district on July 30. “I have assured CM Shri @pinarayivijayan of our support and announced that Karnataka will construct 100 houses for the victims. Together, we will rebuild and restore hope,” he had said.
Siddaramaiah’s letter on Tuesday said it is concerning that no communication has been received from Kerala regarding the necessary guidelines or directions to implement this project, preventing Karnataka from moving forward with the commitment.
“Kindly recall that during my visit to Wayanad following the unfortunate landslide incident, I had announced my government's commitment to donate 100 houses to support the affected families. This initiative was aimed at providing a secure and stable environment for those who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and dear ones. The announcement was duly communicated to the Chief Secretary of Kerala for further coordination,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that the Karnataka government is ready to purchase the land required for constructing the houses.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also promised that the party would construct 100 houses in Wayanad. On December 9, Pinarayi Vijayan criticised Amit Shah’s statement that the reason why financial assistance was not given to Kerala was due to the state government’s delay in submitting the study report.
The Union government recently recognised the recent landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad as a disaster of “severe nature.” According to a memorandum submitted by the state government, 359 persons were dead/missing, 95 persons suffered disability of more than 40%, and 378 injured persons were hospitalised in the tragedy.
