Kerala accords state honours to Rajesh who died during rescue operation, vows to complete unfinished house

Thiruvananthapuram: R Rajesh, the disaster response trainer from Kalliyoor in Thiruvananthapuram who lost his life during rescue operations at Cherupuzha in Kannur, was accorded state honours as part of a Cabinet decision on Wednesday. The government also announced that it would complete the construction of his unfinished house. 

Rajesh was killed while taking part in rescue operations in the flood-hit region, prompting widespread tributes to his courage and selfless service. The Cabinet's decision comes as the state continues to assess the damage caused by the recent floods and roll out relief measures for affected families.

The decision was among a series of measures approved at the Cabinet meeting to strengthen flood relief and rehabilitation efforts across the state.

Other Cabinet decisions
The Cabinet announced that the families of those who died in the floods would receive a total compensation of ₹8 lakh each from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). An additional ₹10,000 will be provided towards funeral expenses.

The government also enhanced financial assistance for rebuilding homes. Aid for constructing a new house for families who have completely lost both their house and land has been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh, while compensation for fully damaged houses has been raised from ₹4 lakh to ₹6 lakh.

All households inundated by floodwaters will receive ₹10,000 as emergency assistance, based on the village officer's report. Families forced to move out of their homes due to flooding will be eligible for house rent assistance.

Flood-affected families will also receive ₹300 per day each for two members listed on a ration card. Crop loss compensation for farmers has been increased by 25%, while shop owners who lost their livelihood due to flooding will receive ₹10,000 as special assistance.

To support recovery, the Cabinet approved soft loans of up to ₹12 lakh for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers and tourist vehicle owners. The government will either provide banks with margin money of up to ₹3 lakh or 25% of the loan amount, whichever is lower, or offer a 9% interest subsidy for five years.

The Cabinet also decided to address complaints related to the rehabilitation housing scheme for fishermen and implement a revised scheme. It directed officials to construct seawalls along the maximum possible stretch of the coastline and deploy geo bags wherever required to strengthen coastal protection.

The Cabinet also appointed retired Justice C N Ramachandran as the chairperson of the Police Complaints Authority.