Wayanad landslide survivors allege errors in draft list of rehabilitation project, stage protest

Wayanad (Kerala): Landslide survivors in Kerala's Wayanad on Saturday staged a protest at a village panchayat office near here on Saturday alleging lapses and errors in the draft list of beneficiaries in a township rehabilitation project.

Prepared by the district sub-collector and published on Friday, the draft list of beneficiaries for the first phase of the proposed township project comprised 388 families.

However, the landslide survivors, who staged a protest in front of the Meppadi Panchayat office here, alleged that the list had double and multiple entries of some beneficiaries and complete exclusion of some other genuine beneficiaries.

The action council leaders of the landslide survivors alleged that double and multiple entries of beneficiaries figured in the list even in a single ward.

"It is full of errors. Names of many genuine beneficiaries are missing. We cannot accept this. The list should be withdrawn," one of the protesters said.

However, the panchayat authorities made it clear that the families who lost their homes in the disaster and homeless people who had lived in rented houses and temporary facilities were included in the draft list of the first phase of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala township project.

As the issue triggered a row, Revenue Minister K Rajan told reporters that it was not the final list but only a draft list and people could submit their grievances within 15 days.

The concerns of the landslide survivors would be addressed properly and there was no need for any worry, he said.

The landslides that struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions of Wayanad on July 30 left over 200 people dead and many others injured, nearly wiping out both areas.