Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Tuesday that the state government is actively progressing with the rehabilitation of landslide survivors in Wayanad district. Addressing the media, Vijayan highlighted that the Chief Secretary has been tasked with consulting disaster response experts and local representatives to finalize a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. The plan will be formulated after gathering input from all stakeholders involved.
The Chief Minister provided an update on the current status of those displaced by the landslides, noting that initially, 729 families were sheltered in rehabilitation camps. Of these, 219 families remain in the camps, while the others have relocated to rented accommodations or are staying with relatives, as reported by PTI.
In a significant move to support the victims financially, Vijayan revealed that the State-Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) has agreed to refund the EMIs that were deducted from the bank accounts of those affected by the landslides after July 30. Additionally, the SLBC is considering a proposal to completely waive the outstanding loans of the victims.
At the SLBC meeting held on Monday, several decisions were made to ease the financial burden on the disaster-hit families. These include restructuring all existing loans taken for both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes, providing unsecured consumption loans of up to Rs 25,000 for immediate relief with a repayment period of 30 months, and suspending all recovery procedures in the affected areas for the time being.
"The decision was taken to provide financial support to those who had to make various repayments even after the calamity," Vijayan said. The government, in collaboration with the banks, is focused on ensuring that the victims receive the necessary assistance to rebuild their lives.
The Chief Minister reiterated the government's commitment to rehabilitating the survivors and assured that all efforts are being made to address their needs comprehensively. The final rehabilitation plan will be implemented following further discussions with experts and the affected communities.