Kalpetta: While the LDF government in Kerala is moving swiftly to hand over 178 houses to people displaced by the Mundakkai–Chooralmala landslides, the Congress is struggling to justify the delay in identifying land for the 100 houses it had promised following the disaster.

More than 300 people were killed when the massive landslide partially wiped out parts of the Mundakkai–Chooralmala villages on the night of July 30, 2024.

The Congress recently purchased 3.25 acres of land at Kunnampatta in Meppadi panchayat, and started preparing the land for the work.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, the incumbent Wayanad MP, had expressed full support for the housing project during their visit to the area days after the catastrophe. Priyanka had promised to facilitate the purchase of suitable land, while Rahul assured victims that funds would be mobilised to construct 100 houses.

The Youth Congress had also promised to build 100 houses and launched a statewide fundraising drive. However, the initiative later ran into trouble as nothing has materialised so far.

While the state government is proceeding with the construction of houses for all eligible families, questions are being raised about the beneficiaries of the project announced by Congress.

As the state is preparing for the assembly elections, the ruling LDF has used allegations against the stalled housing project as a tool to counter the Congress in Wayanad.

Meanwhile, the rehabilitation project was marred by controversies, including the resignation of then DCC president N D Appachan three months ago. Appachan had faced criticism for not finding even five acre land for the project. Following his extit, the state committee appointed Advocate T J Isaac as DCC president.

According to Isaac, the party is planning to purchase additional land for the project, apart from the 3.25 acres already acquired.

DCC accuses LDF of delaying project
Isaac told Onmanorama that the project was affected by two factors: first, delays in finalising land in Meppadi panchayat, as most applicants preferred to stay within the same panchayat; and second, what he described as the hostile attitude of the state government, which refused to grant clearance for the plantation land identified for the project.

He pointed out that most land in Meppadi is plantation land, which requires state government permission for conversion to other uses.

“Even the state government failed to find adequate patta land in Meppadi and had to shift its project to the Kalpetta municipal area, on plantation land belonging to Elstone Estate,” Isaac said. “If the government had been willing to grant exemptions for plantation land for housing projects, we could have inaugurated our project much earlier.”

Isaac also claimed that the houses built by the Congress would be superior to those under the state government’s township project.

“Apart from larger houses, there will be facilities for residents to continue their farming activities, including cattle rearing,” he said.

According to a recent state government press release, keys to 178 houses will be handed over to landslide-affected families by the end of February.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the lead contractor for the township project, is working to complete the project in record time, with April next year set as the overall deadline.

Construction of 410 houses is currently underway at the township site. Around 1,500 workers have been engaged in the project over the past several weeks.