‘Centre providing all help, rescue top priority’, says PM, announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to kin of deceased
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The death toll in Kerala Monsoon has risen to 200, and to 344 overall this monsoon season with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan calling it a ‘grave’ situation.
In the wake of the prevailing crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala on Friday to take stock of the situation.
The Prime Minister, who was to conduct an aerial survey today morning, had to back off due to heavy rains in Kochi. But he later resumed the survey to cover the flood-affected areas.
Modi later held a high-level meeting to assess the situation and announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crores. However, Vijayan sought an emergency relief of Rupees 2,500 crore from the Centre saying Kerala suffers losses of Rs 25,000 crores.
The Prime Minister also announced ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Around 58 teams of NDRF have been deployed in 8 affected districts of Kerala, said the Director General of the National Disaster Rescue Force Sanjay Kumar. “We have rescued 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed,” he said.
I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation', said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister said the nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour of need adding that the Centre is providing all the help needed. “In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour,” he tweeted.
The Prime Minister also said the government is trying to ensure that Kerala receives benefits from social security schemes. “The Central Government is ensuring that the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, MGNREGA, various social security schemes, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture reach those affected on a priority basis in Kerala,” the PM said.