Thrissur: As the LDF government prepares to hand over 178 houses to Wayanad landslide survivors, the Congress has announced the foundation-laying ceremony of its 100-houses project on Thursday.

Addressing the media in Thrissur, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and former MP of Wayanad, will lay the foundation stone for the project on February 26.

According to him, the 3.24 acres of land required for the housing project have already been registered at Meppadi Kunnumpatta in Wayanad. An additional 5.45 acres has been identified at Ezhanchira. The KPCC aims to construct 100 houses, with the first phase of 50 houses to be completed within six months.

During the launch of the project, the KPCC will distribute financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each to commercial establishments that suffered losses in the Wayanad landslide disaster.

Sunny Joseph said that the funds required for the housing project will be mobilised by the KPCC with the support of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), while the remaining amount will be collected from the public. The estimated cost of each house, to be built on eight cents of land, is ₹25 lakh.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shafi Parambil alleged that the concessions granted to the government during land acquisition for housing construction in Wayanad were not extended to the Congress.

Responding to media queries on whether CPM leader PK Sasi would join the Congress, Sunny Joseph said that not only Sasi but many others are in touch. He added that discussions regarding Sasi’s candidature have not taken place yet and claimed that an internal rift is growing within the CPM.