By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This is the real Kerala Story. Not the films with the same title which seek to divide people. And this is also the Kerala model, which puts a premium on communal harmony and unity in adversity. A model which other states in the country would do well to emulate.
The reference is to the inauguration the other day of the first phase of the Wayanad township in Kalpetta built for the survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in July 2024. A beaming Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan handed over to 178 families the keys to the houses.
It was a proud moment for the Left Democratic Front(LDF) Government led by Pinarayi Vijayan – a Government which says what it does and does what it says. It marked the fulfilment of a promise made possible by the indomitable will of the Chief Minister supported by the unity of the people in the teeth of disaster. The township also is the visible symbol of the determination of a Government which braved heavy odds: denial of central assistance, malicious propaganda and calls not to contribute to the relief fund. A section of the anti-Left media also tried its level best to derail the rehabilitation project by fabricating lies.
“We cannot compensate for many losses. But through compassion, we can help people slowly recover from that loss. That is the characteristic of humanity. That is what we saw in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala survival. The world once again saw the Kerala model of love, compassion and reciprocity,” gushed a proud Chief Minister, who led from the front.
Dwelling in detail over the efforts undertaken by the Government for the victims, the Chief Minister said that Rs 6,000 has been provided as monthly rent for all disaster survivors. An amount of Rs 17. 2 crore was spent on livelihood support, while Rs 2 crore was spent to provide assistance to 21 children who lost their parents in the disaster.
That is not the end of the story. As many as 858 families are also being given food coupons of Rs 1,000 per month. The CM’s Disaster Relief Fund received an assistance of Rs 773. 98 crore for the project.
In another heart-warming gesture, the State Government also decided to fully assume the loan arrears of 555 disaster victims in various banks, amounting to Rs 18.75 crore. This humanitarian gesture has to be viewed against the murky backdrop of the Union Government’s refusal to rush to the help of the victims.
The township is also a testament to the work ethics of the Uralungal Labour Contract Society which deployed thousands of workers to complete the work with commendable efficiency.
Apart from the houses, the township also flaunts public facilities such as a community hall, disaster shelter, football ground, disaster memorial, shops, material collection facility, water reservoir, sewage treatment plants, underground electricity distribution network, drainage system, a water tank with a capacity of 9.5 lakh litres and a solar power plant in each house with a capacity of two kilowatt.
The township, planned in five zones, is built in 35 clusters of 8-10 houses. Each cluster has a spacious green space courtyard. Individual owners will be issued a separate title deed, too.
The Chief Minister also announced that the construction of houses for the remaining beneficiaries is nearing completion, adding that the keys are expected to be handed over before the next monsoon.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who p[resided over the function, said that the township is an example of the LDF Government’s approach which believes in going beyond making declarations and laying foundation stones.
Among the beneficiaries who received the keys was five-year-old Nysa, who lost her father and two sisters in the landslides. A video of her interaction with the Chief Minister has gone viral on the social media. The contrast between the State Government’s fulfilment of its promise and the Union Government’s failure to grant relief to the victims was too glaring to be missed. The child had hogged headlines after her interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Wayanad in the wake of the landslides.
Each house has two bed rooms, a sit-out, dining room, living room, study room, kitchen and work area. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), which had collected funds to construct 100 houses, has provided television sets to all the houses.
In conclusion, it can be said without the fear of contradiction that the manner in which the State Government took up the daunting task of rehabilitating the survivors of Wayanad disaster has earned it universal acclaim. As the saying goes, all battles are first won in the mind. And the State Government measured up to the challenge to the consternation of its critics and detractors who pulled out all the stops to defeat the Government’s efforts. (IPA Service)
