Congress leader Chandy Oommen on Sunday launched a sarcastic attack on Revenue Minister K Rajan over the controversy surrounding cracks in houses built for Wayanad landslide survivors.

Taking a dig, Oommen said Thrissur had found a new 'construction worker' in the minister, capable of building houses without cracks. “It is a matter of joy that such a skilled worker from Thrissur has been found in the form of the minister,” he said.

Oommen pointed out that the homeowner concerned had himself acknowledged the presence of cracks. He added that cyberattacks and threats against the homeowner would not resolve the issue.

Alleging collusion, he claimed there was a clear nexus between the minister and Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society, citing recent developments. He further said that if a UDF government comes to power, a comprehensive investigation into the matter would be carried out.

Earlier, Opposition leader V D Satheesan slammed Revenue Minister K Rajan, calling his actions drama. 

Revenue Minister Rajan had on Saturday inspected the houses built for survivors of the Mundakkai–Chooralmala landslide and said the reported cracks were not structural but merely superficial.

However, the controversy erupted after Noufal K T, a resident and landslide survivor who first raised the issue, claimed that the cracks were visible not only on the walls but also on the main concrete layer.

The controversy centres on the 178 houses constructed for survivors on Elstone Estate land near Kalpetta. Noufal further alleged that several construction issues existed in the houses, but many survivors were reluctant to speak out because of the trauma of having lost family members in the landslide.