Kerala seeks maximum Central assistance for rain-hit

Thiruvananthapuram, June 28 (UNI) The Kerala Assembly today urged the Centre to sanction maximum financial assistance to provide relief and compensation for the victims of the recent rain and flood in the state.

Making a statement in the House, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said 70 people had lost their lives, crops in large tracts had gone waste and nearly 10,000 houses, schools and other buildings suffered damages in rain and storm. The loss was estimated at Rs 1,000 crore.

Apart from allocating Rs 3.5 crore as immediate relief to the affected an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each had been sanctioned to the families of the dead besides two weeks' free ration to the affected, he said.

The Chief Minister said nearly 20,000 affected people had been shifted to 149 relief camps.

An immediate assistance of Rs 100 crore had been sought from the Centre, he said and added that a detailed memorandum on the loss would be submitted soon.

Mr Achuthanandan also sought the coopertion of the Opposition and all sections of the people to wrest adequate assistance from the Centre.

UNI