Kerala Floods: PM Modi announces Rs 500 crore assistance

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Sat, Aug 18, 2018, 06:59 PM

Kerala Floods: PM Modi announces Rs 500 crore assistance

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was accompanied by the Chief Minister of Kerala, the governor and others for the aerial survey.

The Deployment by the Indian arm forces and the NDRF in the flood-affected state has begun. PM Modi is conducting an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas.

PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those who have been seriously injured, from PM's National Relief Funds reported a source.

PWD minister G Sudhakaran told the police and the district administration of Alappuzha to arrest houseboats owners who deny co-operating in giving their boats for rescue operations.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala reports a source.

PM Modi announces Rs 500 crore as the immediate assistance. He conveyed this to CM Pinarayi Vijayan during their discussion. PM Modi has currently departed to the Naval airport INS Garuda for aerial survey

Flood hit areas of Thrissur and Palakkad to get a small reprieve as Peechi, Poomala, Pathazhakkundu dams in Thrissur district down shutters to restrict outflow of water

As PM Modi was unable to conduct the aerial survey, a review meeting has been held with the governor P Sathasivam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, revenue minister E Chandrasekharan at the Naval base.

Pinarayi told PM Modi that according to preliminary estimates, Kerala has incurred losses worth Rs 19,512 crores. He further added that a final account of the loss can only be calculated after the flood waters recede.

The Chief Minister had also requested the PM for an immediate relief of Rs. 2000 crore to deal with the flood-related losses.

The PM's relief fund for the state comes days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had visited flood-hit Kerala. Following an aerial survey on August 12, Rajnath Singh had announced Rs 100 crore as immediate relief donations as well as relief materials such as clothes, food, blankets and so on to send to Kerala.

A challenge that remains, however, is getting the relief material to Kerala as several roadways are blocked because of the flooding. The Cochin International Airport to has ceased all operations till August 26.