Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has said that Rs. 4 lakh each will paid as compensation to the kin of those killed in the recent natural calamity in the district.
The State government had announced Rs. 2 lakh and the Prime Minister had promised an equal amount, he said after presiding over a review meeting at the Collectorate in Painavu on Monday.
The funds for the rain-affected population had been allotted to the district administration, and an additional Rs.16 lakh recommended by the District Collector would be made available this week, he said.
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The Minister said an all-party meeting had decided to seek Rs. 5,446 crore from the Centre as calamity relief for the State. As many as 178 people had been killed in monsoon-related calamities in the State during the past two-and-a-half months. In Idukki, the toll was 22.
He said that at present, payment of compensation was delayed by 30 days. The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday would discuss ways to end the delay.
He said that by rules, those who lost houses in rain could be paid only Rs.75,000. The government had increased the amount to Rs. 2 lakh. For damaged houses the limit would be increased from Rs.35,000 to Rs.50,000.
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He said a proposal for clearing earth from landslip-hit roads and residential premises through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would be considered. Steps would be taken to compensate classes lost because of natural calamities.
Roshy Augustine, MLA, said farmers who had lost their crops should be paid relief to resume farming. Considering the travel problems being faced by students in the district, concession should be made available to them on buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
K.K. Jayachandran, E.S. Bijimol, and S. Rajendran, MLAs; district panchayat president M.T. Thomas; and District Collector Ajit Patil attended the meeting.