Wayanad (Kerala) | Saidalavi, a tailor by profession, turned visibly emotional when his name was called in the draw of lots held for allotting permanent houses to victims of the 2024 Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide, which claimed at least 226 lives and displaced hundreds in Wayanad.
The district administration on Friday conducted the draw at Meppadi to select the first batch of 178 beneficiaries for houses constructed under the Model Township project near Kalpetta.
"I am a tailor and had a textile-making unit at Chooralmala, which was destroyed in the landslide. I am happy to have received a house to live in," Saidalavi told PTI.
However, he said his concern is finding a source of income for his family.
"I lost my shop, and the government should do something to help me restart my livelihood," he said.
"I had a two-storey shop, and rebuilding something similar is not possible at present. Once we receive the house, the monthly government assistance is likely to stop," he added.
"I only request assistance to start a shop again or compensation for the shop I lost," he added.
The keys to the 178 beneficiaries selected through the draw will be handed over at a function on February 25.
A total of 410 houses have been constructed on seven cents of land each under the Model Township project, developed on land that was earlier part of the Elston Estate in Kalpetta.
Each house, spanning 1,000 square feet, has two bedrooms, a living room, a study, a dining area, a kitchen, and a storage space.
The township also includes a health centre, an anganwadi, a common marketplace, and a community centre.
Wayanad District Collector Dr Meghasree described the development as a "major milestone" for the district administration.
"The keys to the first batch of beneficiaries will be handed over by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the evening of February 25. The district administration has taken considerable effort to achieve this, and the government's timely directions helped us reach this milestone," she said.
The draw was held in the presence of Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes O R Kelu, at the MSA Auditorium in Meppadi.
Suryalatha, another beneficiary who lost her house in the landslide, said her long wait had ended.
"We have been waiting for this moment for several years. We are very happy to receive a house," she said.
However, some residents expressed concern that they had been left out despite suffering heavy losses in the 2024 disaster.
As many as 46 residents of Padavettikunnu in Chooralmala alleged they were excluded from the rehabilitation scheme for landslide victims.
"Our names were not included in the welfare scheme, and we did not get houses. The authorities say that we will also be considered, but nothing has happened in the last one-and-a-half years," said Amaravathi, one of the residents.
She added that displaced families are currently staying in different parts of the district and have requested inclusion in the township project.
Nine Akshaya Centre counters were set up at the venue to assist families with documentation.
These centres are government-run digital hubs established under the 2002 Akshaya project in Malappuram, and later expanded statewide.
They aim to bridge the digital divide and provide citizens with easy access to government and e-governance services.
Kalpetta MLA T Siddique, government officials, and representatives of various political organisations were also present.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Thursday announced that all identified beneficiaries would be provided with land and houses before the next monsoon season, ensuring full rehabilitation.
He said the achievement reinforces the government's claim that it not only makes promises but also implements them.
