Kerala proposes to submit early next month a revised memorandum to the Centre for assistance in flood relief and payment of compensation for collateral damage to property.

Earlier in the day, a high-level State Government delegation led by Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, met a visiting Central team that assessed the situation at the ground level.

Also present were Adoor Prakash, Revenue Minister; K.P. Mohanan, Agriculture Minister; E.K. Bharat Bhushan, Chief Secretary; and T.J. Mathew, Revenue Secretary. Vualnam Vumlunmang, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, led the Central fact-finding team.

Vumlunmang told newspersons here that the team would prepare its report after the State Government submits an updated memorandum.

The State had sought an assistance of Rs 481 crore in the preliminary memorandum. However, it could claim only Rs 221 crore as per applicable Central norms.

The loss from damage to agriculture crops alone had come to Rs 480 crore. The revenue minister said the revised memorandum would reflect this.

The State Government had been demanding that the losses from natural events such as sea erosion and lightening should also be considered for Central assistance.

Vumlunmang said the team was able to convince itself about the severity of the situation, despite having not been able to go to all places.

The revenue minister observed that unlike in the past, the Central team had visited the State even as it was pouring in the State.

This helped the team to get first hand information from Kuttanad where 2.5 lakh people had been displaced temporarily.

>vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in

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