The Kerala government will engage KPMG, a leading international professional service company, as project consultant partner in the massive exercise to ‘rebuild’ the State ravaged by recent floods.

KPMG will provide the services free of cost, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said while briefing newspersons on the Cabinet decisions during a meeting after a special session of the State Assembly on Thursday.

Chairman meets CM

Arun M Kumar, Chairman and CEO of KPMG in India, accompanied by his team, called on the Chief Minister last Sunday and pledged their support to the efforts to rebuild Kerala.

Kumar and his team had discussed with the Chief Minister and his office how KPMG could contribute to the rebuilding effort by drawing upon its global expertise and human resources.

The KPMG team discussed how rebuilding the state’s economy, assets, and infrastructure and the revival of livelihoods could benefit from next-generation technology, sustainability, and environmental fit. The Chairman and CEO extended support to this endeavour by making available KPMG’s expertise as well as offering to reach out to specialised international agencies and research institutions.

Funds constraints

Vidya Mohan, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, KPMG, said the service company is proud to stand with the government in its efforts to rebuild Kerala for the future, and to ensure improved livelihoods and lifestyles for its people.

Arun Kumar also handed over to the Chief Minister an amount of ₹2 crore for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) contributed by KPMG’s India employees and the firm. The firm has also been assisting in relief measures by deploying 100 volunteer staff in some of the affected areas. It will also provide selected personnel on a pro bono basis to assist the government in some of their immediate needs.

While admitting that fund mobilisation for rebuilding the state was a challenge, the Chief Minister said the proposal is to raise funds from foreign countries where Kerala expatriates live in large numbers.

A minister and a team of officials would be deployed to destinations such such as the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, the US and Canada.

Fund-raising drives in key towns in these countries will be mounted in cooperation with local association of Keralites. Similar programmes will also be held in educational institutions within the State on September 11.

Meanwhile, the total amount received towards the CMDRF has crossed the milestone of ₹1,000 and touched ₹1,026 crore on Thursday. A loan of ₹1lakh each will be disbursed to the families that lost household articles.

The government will bear the interest part of the loan, after entering into an agreement with a consortium of banks. An amount of ₹10 lakh will be given in assistance to the flood-hit small-scale traders and businessmen.

Meanwhile, Tata Project Ltd has been entrusted with the task of reconstructing roads, buildings and bridges destroyed at Pamba, in the foothills of Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.

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