Reiterating the government’s commitment to uphold its secular credentials, ensure gender justice and welfare of all sections, including forward communities, Governor P. Sathasivam has exhorted for taking the flood as a challenge and an opportunity for rebuilding the State.
The Governor, in his address to the Assembly on Friday, said that the rebuilding may take five years, but the government, though facing a serious resource crunch, would not confine itself to the execution of a rehabilitation and restoration plan. A Post Disaster Needs Assessment conducted by various agencies had put the total loss at ₹26,718 crore and the recovery needs at ₹31,000 crore. The Centre would provide only ₹5,000 crore. Hence, it would pool the resources from the State Disaster Relief Fund and the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Gender justice
The government is duty bound to implement the Supreme Court verdict granting unrestricted entry for women into Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The untoward incidents that followed the implementation of the verdict accents the need to focus on renaissance values.