Kerala: Rs10,000 immediate relief for flood-hit families
Those who have lost their land and homes will get Rs1m each
Thiruvananthapuram: Nearly a week into the devastating rains in the state, the Kerala government has announced an emergency relief payment of Rs10,000 (Dh516) to flood-affected families.
After the weekly cabinet meeting in the state capital on Wednesday, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Rs400,000 each would be given to families who have lost members in the floods and landslides. Victims who lost their homes will also get Rs400,000.
The announcements are in line with the compensation announced after the flood of 2018.
One difference this time is that the urgent relief money of Rs10,000 would be disbursed only after proper scrutiny. This is because of allegations last year that several families who were not seriously affected by the flood were beneficiaries of the government aid while many genuine victims did not get the monetary assistance.
Those who lost their land and homes will get Rs1 million each — Rs600,000 to buy land and Rs400,000 for constructing a new house.
A cabinet subcommittee has been set up to assess damage caused to commercial establishments.