Thiruvananthapuram: Minister E P Jayarajan has announced that there will be no change in the scheduled foreign trips of his cabinet colleagues to solicit funds to carry out massive relief and restoration works in flood-hit Kerala.

“More aid can be collected if ministers are personally involved in the effort,” he said.

Jayarajan said that the ministers would be travelling abroad in the coming days to help Kerala tide over a grave crisis. “The ministers will be based at various districts from September 10 to 15 to carry out relief programmes. The trips abroad will take place only afterwards,” he clarified to the media.

Asked whether the absence of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in the US for medical treatment, would affect flood-relief efforts, Jayarajan replied in the negative. “The world has progressed so much and the administration will continue as before,” he told a reporter who wanted to know if the chief minister would manage things in Kerala from the US.

“Though the chief minister is not in the state, the decisions will be taken by him. Each district has been allotted to a minister; the health department has already prepared programmes to prevent the spread of diseases,” Jayarajan explained.

CM Pinarayi had earlier said a high-level delegation led by a Kerala minister will travel to various Middle East countries and other nations to garner funds for rebuilding the state in the wake of last month's devastating floods.

The delegation will travel to the Middle East, the US, Australia, Germany, Canada, and will seek funds for rebuilding the state. Another team will tour India and seek funds from all Kerala-based organisations.

The worst calamity to hit the state in a century has claimed 483 lives. Lakhs of people were put up in relief camps following the incessant rain that lasted from August 8 to 16.

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