Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is all set to seek a Rs 3,000-crore aid from Centre after the unprecedented August deluge wreaked havoc in the state. A central government team will arrive in the state on September 18 to assess the damage, once a memorandum, being drafted as per central government norms, is submitted.
This apart, a plea will also be made for a special reconstruction package.
The report being readied by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will include data collected from every district on the death toll and landslides, besides destruction of houses and crop loss. The SDMA will send the draft to district collectors soon for detailed scrutiny. The collectors can propose changes if any. Once that process is over, the report will be finalised and submitted to the Centre.
Families of those who died in the calamity will receive a maximum of Rs 4 lakh as central assistance. For houses wrecked in hilly areas, the compensation is up to Rs 1,01,900 and in other areas Rs 95,100. States, including Kerala, have been demanding for years an increase in the relief aid, but the Centre hasn't yet considered it.
The massive floods, the worst in a century, had claimed several lives and caused widespread damage. The state had received an initial aid of Rs 600 crore from the Centre in August.
Centre to take a call
The Union government has the authority to decide how much money should be granted even if the memorandum has been drafted in strict conformity to central criteria. Its own team's report will also be taken into consideration.
Kerala had sought Rs 400-crore relief assistance after Cyclone Ockchi, but was granted only Rs 132 crore. Out of that, Rs 21 crore was recovered too. An assistance of Rs 820 crore was requested for losses incurred in the June-July rain havoc, but the central team that visited the state recommended only Rs 597 crore.
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