Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government and the CPI(M) on Saturday accused the union government of adopting an "anti-democratic stand" over providing Central assistance for the victims of Wayanad landslides.
While the CPI(M) warned that it would intensify protests against the Centre, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan defended the union government and said he had complete trust on the assurance made by Prime minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
A political row erupted in the state over the issue following the Centre's recent letter to the state government stating that under the existing guidelines of SDRF and NDRF, there is no provision to declare any calamity a "national disaster." Speaking to reporters here, Revenue Minister K Rajan said the Centre should not have taken such a "tragic approach" towards the state and it was not acceptable for Kerala.
"To spend the money from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), there is no need for the prime minister and the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to visit the disaster-hit area. There was also no need for the state to submit a memorandum to the Centre to spend the money from the SDRF," Rajan pointed out.
At a time when the state has the right to get the fund in accordance with the SDRF calculation, it was not good to create a misunderstanding saying that money for the rehabilitation of landslide-hit Wayanad was allocated in the distress relief fund, he explained. "It is not appropriate for a democratic system," he added.
Sharing similar views, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the Centre has been denying assistance for Wayanad rehabilitation only due to "political reasons".
Despite the state pressing the union government for allocating adequate assistance for the relief and rehabilitation initiatives in landslide-hit Wayanad, the Centre has not even allocated a penny for the purpose till date, he alleged.
"It is because of the Centre's grudge towards the state. The assistance is denied only because of political reasons," he said.
He accused the BJP-led union government of not allowing the state to 'progress' financially.
Govindan said, though PM Modi, during his visit, had assured that all assistance would be given to the state for the rehabilitation of the landslide-hit Wayanad, he is yet to fulfil his word.
The party veteran also warned of intense protests against the Centre over the issue in the coming days.
However, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan rejected the criticisms against the Centre and said he "fully trust the assurance of the prime minister" in this regard.
"We already have money. You (state government) submit the accounts to the Central government. Say, this money has been spent and more money is needed," he told reporters in Ernakulam.
Khan also questioned the demand of the state government to declare the category of the disaster, saying that it was not a category but rehabilitation is more important for him. "I would rather believe the words of the PM who said publicly that because of the money, the rehabilitation work would not be allowed to be adversely affected," the governor said.
When the reporters repeatedly asked him about the Centre's alleged reluctance to declare the Wayanad landslide tragedy as a national disaster, Khan asked them whether they were interested in declaration or rehabilitation.
Both the UDF and LDF on Friday called for a hartal on Novemeber 19 to protest against the Centre's decision.
The disaster, which struck on July 30, devastated large parts of three villages --Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai--along with sections of Attamala in Wayanad. As per the government, the deadly disaster claimed 231 lives, while 47 people are still missing.