Days after a delegation led by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the entire parliamentarians from Kerala met Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the speeding up of the relief package for the landslide hit people, on Friday she posted on X the reply from Centre, blaming Kerala government for the delay in submitting the memorandum.
In the response, the Centre points out that there has been an inordinate delay on the part of the state government even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the state.
It said the state government even after three and half months after the incident has not sent an assessment memo.
"Only recently ( November 13) did the state government submit its memo with an estimate of Rs 2,219.03 crore for recovery and reconstruction," said the letter.
The Centre had released the first instalment of Rs 145.60 crore on July 31, and the second instalment of Rs 145.60 crore on October 1.
In addition, there is adequate money of Rs 782.99 crore in the State SDRF account to be utilized for relief activities and the remaining balance of Rs 394.99 crore.
In her post, Priyanka Gandhi has written that disasters should not be made political. "Attempts to provide relief to such victims must first be driven by humanity and empathy". The people of Wayanad look up for hope to the State and Centre Governments. They don't seek excuses; they seek instant help to rebuild their dignity. India stands strongest when every grade of government works together at healing wounds and rebuilding lives. The centre and state must step into fulfilling its responsibility to its people of Wayanad…
It was on July 30 a landslide disaster took place that washed away four villages in Wayanad.
A total of 231 lives were lost while 47 people continue to be missing. 145 houses were fully destroyed, 170 homes were partially destroyed, 240 houses were declared uninhabitable and 183 homes were washed away.
Incidentally, the government in Pinarayi Vijayan has consistently blamed the Centre for its step-brotherly treatment to Kerala and accused the Centre of having been financially profligate with a few other states that did suffer less intense tragedy compared with the Wayanad disaster.
Priyanka Gandhi after winning the Wayanad by-election by a margin of over four lakh votes on her first visit after becoming the MP had assured the people in her constituency that she would do everything possible to speed up the intervention of the Centre.
