A resident is seen sitting on a bolder amid the landslide hit area, where he lost family members, in Wayanad.
Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V
Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre has sanctioned an interest free capital investment loan of Rs 529.5 crore to Kerala for rehabilitation of the landslide affected people of Wayanad.
The financial assistance has been allowed as interest free capital investment loan under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment with a repayment term of 50 years for undertaking 16 rehabilitation projects. The fund's utilisation report has to be submitted by March 31.
The state government and opposition Congress flayed the norm that the funds should be utilised in hardly one and a half month.
Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal told reporters that it would be quite impractical to utilise the funds before March 31. The government will look into the matter and take necessary actions. He also said that the state was expecting assistance in the form of grant as the Centre already decided to consider the landslides as a disaster of severe nature.
Congress leaders flayed that the Centre's move could be considered only as an eye-wash.
The capex loan has been sanctioned for 16 projects, which includes constructing common buildings and infrastructure at the proposed townships, reconstruction of the Chooralmala bridge, schools and roads damaged in the landslide and setting up of facilities like helipads.
The state has been criticising the Centre for not allowing assistance for Wayanad rehabilitation. As per the post disaster needs assessment by experts, around Rs. 2,221 crore will be required for setting up infrastructure for rehabilitating the landslide affected people.
The state already received sponsorship offers for constructing hundreds of homes. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah had offered to construct 100 homes.