Thiruvananthapuram: When the memory of the Pettiffy disaster was revived on his first memorial day last Friday, the opposition attacked the government in the assembly on Monday that accused the lukewarm approach to the rehabilitation and rebuilding process, specifically quoting the slowdown in the advancement of the very well-known initiative (RKI) , The opposition accused the government to divert funds provided by the World Bank to rebuild initiatives.
Looking for leave for the postponement movement on this subject, Kalpetta MLA T Siddique said that rehabilitation and compensation for those who lost their lives and property in Pettimudy, Kavalappara and Puthumala were not finished yet.
Responding to the allegations, Revenue Minister K Rajan registered activities carried out by the government even beyond what the central guidelines were said during the disaster.
He said that the state has offered more than twice the amount of compensation as recommended by central guidelines in the disaster.
He said that compensation for 46 families of 66 who lost their lives in pettimudy had been disbursed, and the remaining 20 will be completed this week itself.
He said that the delay in the disbursement of compensation from those left in this disaster was caused by problems in the necessary records.
However, opposition leader V D Sathean said that it was unfortunate that the income minister whose department was responsible for improving the record was to make such reasons.
He said that the opposition did not claim that the government had not done anything for the victims, but whatever began was not finished.
Quoting a reply by the Minister of Revenue himself in the Assembly, he said that there were 2,557 people in Kozhikode, have not received financial assistance announced by the government.
“The opposition does not polarize these things, but it is our responsibility to raise them here.
The basic steps to be taken in risk mitigation during the disaster are to move people in disaster-prone areas, which themselves have not been done,” He said.
He slams RKI the government quotes that even though funds need to be intended every year in the budget, not a single rupe spent on programs under the RKI.
He said that Rs 1,000 Crore is being intended every year for RKI in a budget, but the expenditure is zero.
In addition, the state received Rs 1,779.58 Crore as the first tranche from the World Bank for RKI.
The government since 2018 cleared administrative sanctions for the project was only worth RS 7,405.10 Crore which was only issued by Rs 460.92 Crore, he said.
At the same time, Crores from Rupees has been spent on doing irregularities, rentals to hire offices for RKI, equip them and appoint consultants, opposition leaders said.
He further accused that the world of Keralites over contributing more than Rs 5,000 Crore against CMDRF and the government transferred all of these funds to other purposes, delaying rehabilitation, rebuilding and compensation.
The opposition then held a walk-out after speaker M B Rajesh refused permission for the postponement movement on the basis of reply by the Minister of Revenue.