Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided against holding the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and school state youth festival (Kalolsavam) this year as the state continues to reel under the aftermath of the August floods.
The general administration department has issued an order in this regard. All events conducted by the tourism department will also be withheld this year. The fund earmarked for these events would now be donated to the relief fund. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), held during December, attracts hundreds of movie buffs to the state every year.
Earlier, the government had put off the annual Onam celebrations. The amount set apart for the celebrations were also used for relief works. Even the annual Nehru trophy boat race was postponed.
Over 480 people lost lives in the state since the onset of the monsoon on May 28 apart from massive damage to property and infrastructure. Thousands were rendered homeless in the August floods, the worst in a century.
Ministers caught unawares?
The general administration department's order came as a surprise for several ministers as some of them were redrawing plans to hold these events later this year. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in the US for medical treatment, had given the nod to cancel the celebration before leaving. The order came even as culture minister AK Balan was to hold a meeting on organising the IFFK later in the day. Even the directorate of public instruction had earlier on Tuesday released a statement, saying that the Kalolsavam was not postponed. Even a few ministers were in support of holding the Nehru Trophy boat race but the order drowned all those plans.
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