P.M Modi was on a recent visit to the states in the south both as a part of the election campaigning and to inspect the Ockhi hit regions. The state was met with a mixed response.
While the P.M toured the villages in Trivandrum, he was greeted by wailing families and grief-struck parents of fishermen lost at sea. Many of the hundreds who turned up at the Poonthura community hall were hugging pictures of spouses, brothers or sons lost to the cyclone.
Women, who had been waiting for more than an hour, were in tears as Mr.Modi entered the hall, along with Governor P.Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers and officials. They shouted and screamed for attention as Mr.Modi was escorted into the crowd near the dais.
He listened in rapt attention as a couple of fishermen narrated their losses and sorrow and vented their anger at the delay in search and rescue operations for the missing fisherfolk. Union Minister K.J.Alphonse was at hand to translate the narration in Malayalam.
He assured the crowd that the Navy and Coast Guard had launched search and rescue operations. As Mr.Modi left the hall after the brief interaction lasting about 20 minutes, the crowd erupted into loud protests. Many of the families vented their ire at not being given an opportunity to be heard by the Prime Minister.
The Relief Package:
The Prime minister’s visit was not just to console the families of the costal regions, but to also discuss the relief package sought by the state of Kerala for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the coastal regions.
The package of Rs. 7,340 sought by the state is in addition to the Rs. 422.16 crore assessed by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as immediate assistance. Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan submitted the report to the P.M on a special meeting that took place yesterday.
Special Package:
12.5 cr for dependents of deceased
1.5 cr for those unable to work
4.77 cr pension for those unable to work
6.25 cr for livelihood for those of the diseased
7.5 cr for children’s educational expenses
0.15 cr for vocational training for dependents
3,003 cr for house construction
537 cr for Electrification
230 cr for debt relief
315 cr for social welfare
1641 cr scheme to mitigate the impact of the disaster
600 cr to improve educational facilities
973 cr others
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