An amount of Rs. 5.55 crore was disbursed as assistance till 7 p.m. at the Chief Minister’s mass contact programme held here on Monday. The programme was still under progress at the time of filing this report.
According to the organisers, the Chief Minister had received 12,948 applications, and more were expected. The Chief Minister on Monday personally met 94 persons selected from the applicants who had filed their complaints online. Of these, 87 persons sought medical aid and an amount of Rs. 53,25,000 has been disbursed among them.
According to the organisers, 9,314 persons had applied online and, among them, 9,214 complaints have been disposed of. Out of these, 3,083 complaints needed an assistance of Rs. 4 crore and this has already been released from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said mass contact programmes have helped instil confidence in people as they could approach the government and official machinery in their hour of need. Speaking during the inauguration of the programme, Mr. Chandy said though settling every complaint in favour of the complainant was not possible, the people now knew that no complaint would go unattended.
Under the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, Rs.800 crore had been distributed to the needy under the Karunya Benevolent Fund. An addition Rs. 420 crore had been distributed from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, Mr. Chandy said.
The Chief Minister announced 15 projects aimed at the comprehensive development of the district. These include Rs. 1 crore for the Clean Kottayam Project; a new ‘Discover Kottayam’ tour package; No Fallow Land Kottayam Project; the skywalk in Kottayam town; a 24x7 mechanism to address drinking water pipeline bursts; industrial estate in Menachil taluk; K. Narayan Kurup Memorial at Kanjirapplly; Meenachil-Manimala-Moovattupuzha river conservation project; lasting solution to the title deeds issue in Pamba valley; setting up of two veterinary polyclinics in the district; heritage museum at Changanassery; four-lane road at Kanjikuzhy and a new pay ward at the general hospital.
Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph, Finance Minister K.M. Mani, MLAs Jose K. Mani, Anto Antony and Kodikkunnil Suresh, and heads of various departments were present.