Wayanad landslip: Construction firm announces ₹6 lakh aid for kin of victims

Wayanad: Dilip Buildcon Ltd, the company executing the Anakkampoyil–Kalladi twin-tunnel project, will provide ₹6 lakh each to the families of its seven employees who were killed in the recent landslip at the project site in Wayanad, Agriculture Minister T Siddique said on Sunday.

The company will also provide ₹5 lakh to the family of Anmol Dodrai, a contract worker associated with the project who also lost his life in the incident. Besides the immediate assistance, the victims' families will receive statutory benefits based on the employees' designation, length of service and insurance coverage. As a result, the total compensation package is expected to range between ₹20 lakh and ₹40 lakh, Siddique, who is also in charge of Wayanad district, said after a review meeting with company representatives at the Wayanad Collectorate.

According to the minister, the total benefits include ₹28 lakh for Chandrabhan Pal, ₹31 lakh for Bikash Kumar Singh, ₹21 lakh for Anmol Dodrai, ₹34 lakh for site engineer Rahul Sharma, ₹29 lakh each for surveyor Azharuddin Ansari and excavator operator Mohammed Imran Khan, ₹32 lakh for surveyor Rakesh Guchait, and ₹40 lakh for construction manager Vikram Rana.

The company has assured the government that the compensation will be transferred to the bank accounts of the victims' families or eligible dependents within 10 days after completing the necessary formalities. It has also committed to extending additional financial assistance to injured workers, including three employees who remain in critical condition. The landslip happened at the tunnel Phase III project site at Kalladi in Wayanad

Earlier, the Kerala government had announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of those killed in the landslip. The amount will be disbursed from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). Those injured in the incident will also receive up to ₹2 lakh in medical assistance from the state, depending on the severity of their injuries.

On the immediate safety measures at the disaster site, Siddique said the company has been directed to remove the accumulated soil at the tunnel entrance and the heaps of excavated earth dumped along the roadsides within three days.

Further decisions on the restoration work will be made after discussions with an expert committee that is scheduled to inspect the project on Monday. Based on its recommendations, the government will issue detailed guidance on the safety measures and protocols to be followed when clearing debris and carrying out any further work at the site.