Tragedy-hit Wayanad waits for PM Modi’s arrival with hope of succour

Wayanad : As Wayanad waits for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive on Saturday to see for himself the destruction caused by the landslides on July 30 which left 416 dead and over 150 missing, the Kerala government will present a memorandum to him seeking a Rs 2,000 crore package from the Centre.

Kerala Tourism Minister, PA Mohammed Riyas, who is spearheading the rescue and relief operations in the affected areas, on Saturday said that Wayanad and the state are waiting eagerly for the arrival of PM Modi and the need of the hour is to declare the landslides a national disaster.

PM Modi will land at Kannur airport and then take a helicopter to go on an aerial inspection of the four ravaged villages.

After that the PM will meet people under treatment in hospitals and also visit a few relief camps where over 10,700 people hit by the landslides have taken shelter.

Following this, PM Modi will chair a review meeting which will be attended by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and top central and state officials.

The PM is expected to return to Kannur airport by around 3 P.M. and then depart for New Delhi.

On Friday, the Kerala government made a presentation on the need for a Rs 1,200 crore central package to cover the estimated losses caused by the landslides and subsequent floods and another Rs 800 crore for various other activities related to rehabilitation.

CM Vijayan has written to PM Modi for the need to declare the Wayanad tragedy a national disaster.

Among the other major demands that CM Vijayan has raised is financial help from the Centre to construct a new township as part of the rehabilitation programme of the survivors of the natural disaster.

Former Wayanad MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi took to social media and wrote, “Thank you, Modi ji, for visiting Wayanad to personally take stock of the terrible tragedy. This is a good decision. I am confident that once the Prime Minister sees the extent of the devastation first-hand, he will declare it a national disaster.”