Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader V D Satheesan met CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday and submitted the opposition’s suggestions and requests for Wayanad and also Vilangad in Kozhikode, where landslides occurred recently. Satheesan suggested that instead of providing individual houses and land in Wayanad, the govt should adopt a township model that enables community living with facilities for agriculture. The govt was also urged to write off all types of loans.
Crops have been destroyed, vehicles damaged, and houses washed away. The loans taken for these cannot be repaid. For the same reason, the loans from public sector banks, private banks, and cooperative banks, including educational loans, should be written off, the opposition leader told the CM.
Another suggestion was to create micro-level packages for each family. Some families have only children, others have only elderly members, and yet another category has lost their breadwinners. Therefore, govt should implement micro-level package for each family.
Since disasters are recurring, climate change must be taken into account. Scientific investigations, prone area mapping, and implementation of warning systems are required. Climate change should be a major factor when deciding development projects and during policy formulation.
Satheesan said that 24 landslides have occurred in Vilangad as per official records and the impact on the village was severe. Numerous houses were destroyed, over 150 houses became uninhabitable, 350 hectares of crops were ruined, 116 hectares of land became unsuitable for farming, 25 roads were damaged, seven bridges were lost, and drinking water projects were halted. The opposition leader informed the CM that the disaster in Vilangad was greater than reported.
It is natural that everyone’s attention was on Wayanad, but we should not overlook Vilangad, he said. Vilangad has many teak farmers. There is confusion about whether the agriculture department or the forest department should compensate their losses, he said.
He also requested the CM to consider and approve a special package for Vilangad as well. We also published the following articles recently Implement agriculture package: Opposition leader to govt Opposition leader V D Satheesan expressed concern over the suicide of farmer Soman in Palakkad due to outstanding loans and crop failure. He urged the state government to implement an agriculture package and declare a moratorium on farmers' loans, stressing the urgency of assistance for Kerala's struggling farmers amidst climate challenges and financial crises.
Tag Wayanad landslides national disaster: Rahul Gandhi Rahul Gandhi, during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, asked the government to declare the recent landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, a national disaster. He called for a comprehensive rehabilitation package and disaster-resistant infrastructure. Gandhi praised the efforts of state governments and central forces in rescue operations, highlighting the unity shown by communities.
This disaster is not normal: PM Modi on relief aid on Wayanad landslides Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Kerala of central government support after Wayanad landslides killed over 400 people. He promised no work would be hindered due to financial constraints and conducted an aerial survey of the affected region. Modi met victims and survivors, and discussed the situation with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to coordinate relief efforts.
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