Thiruvananthapuram: Revenue Minister K Rajan announced on Tuesday that the government will expedite the steps to rehabilitate Mundakkai and Chooralmala landslide survivors. He added that the township construction will begin at Elston Estate in Kalpetta this month as the government plans to complete land acquisition within 15 days.

“The government will not take over landslide-hit Punchirimattom land. Land acquisition procedures are not delayed. Topographical, geographical, and hydrographical surveys and soil testing on the estates identified for the township have been completed. The district authority will publish the final list of beneficiaries within two weeks,” said the minister.

People who lost their homes in the massive landslides have been included in the lists. Complaints regarding the beneficiaries’ list should be submitted by March 13.

“Earlier, the government decided to allot five cents of land to each house. However, as we have revised this decision, each house will now be constructed on seven cents of land,” the minister added.

Regarding project funding, Minister Rajan stated that sponsors will contribute Rs 20 lakh each, and the government will bear any additional expenditure.

Roads and bridges swept away by the landslides will also be reconstructed as part of the township project.

In a major announcement, the minister said that the government is planning to extend the distribution of the Rs 300 daily allowance to the survivors for the next nine months. A card to the tune of Rs 1,000 will be provided to each family for purchasing groceries from Supplyco. Through this, the government plans to discontinue the direct distribution of food items.

The District Collector will organise a hearing from March 10 to 12 to enable those on the list of people who had lost their houses in the disaster to select their options. They can either opt for financial aid of Rs 15 lakh or a house worth Rs 20 lakh on seven-cent land.