A memorandum from the Kerala government to the High Court detailing the financial assistance sought from the Union government for Wayanad relief efforts has sparked an outcry among the opposition.
The government estimated the total amount at Rs 1,202 crore for relief measures such as search operations, carrying out funerals, accommodation, transportation, food and water supply for volunteers, medical care, and DNA sampling, among others. The memorandum detailing the estimated cost of relief and rescue measures was given to the Union government on August 17, which was submitted to the court as part of a suo motu case.
Fuelled by some media reports, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have accused the government of making unnecessary expenditures and inflating figures. Alleging that the volunteers did not claim any remuneration for burying the bodies, BJP state president K Surendran said the state government was exploiting the disaster and hiding corruption. Demanding transparency, IUML leader PK Kunjalikutty said the government has insulted hundreds of volunteers.
Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA VD Satheesan questioned why the government stated they had incurred an expense of Rs 75,000 for one burial. “The family who have identified the body have laid it to rest themselves. Unidentified bodies and body parts have been buried in the land belonging to Harrisons Malayalam Limited. It was local MLAs and panchayat presidents that held talks, and all necessary work was done by volunteers,” he said.
Satheesan also said that the memorandum had been prepared haphazardly and the figures did not have any relation to the norms laid out in the State Disaster Response Force. “Where was this estimate prepared? Was it by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) or the Revenue Department? Did the officials concerned carry out any proper inspection regarding this matter?” he asked.
In response, the Chief Minister’s Office clarified that the figures cited were preliminary estimates for anticipated costs and not actual expenditures.
“A section of the media is misinterpreting the details in the memorandum as the total amount spent on the ground. However, this is an estimate prepared keeping the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms in mind. Such misinterpretation is an attempt to hamper Kerala’s attempts to get the required financial assistance from the Union government,” the statement said, adding that the memorandum clearly specifies that the document provides an assessment of response and relief measures and not the amount spent.
In early August, a division bench of the Kerala High Court comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Syam Kumar VM initiated a suo motu petition to address and manage natural disasters in the state. This action was taken alongside the consideration of writ appeals. Among these appeals, one petition urged the court to direct the monitoring of housing construction to prevent misallocation and ensure fair treatment of disaster victims. The petition highlighted that "misuse or mismanagement of funds during disasters can arise from a lack of transparency, inadequate oversight, corruption, and insufficient oversight mechanisms."
Costs inflated, but because of the Union govt’s attitude?
According to reports, Rs 47 crore has been estimated for search and rescue operations, Rs 15 crore for accommodation for volunteers and troops, Rs 10 crore for supply of food and water to them, Rs 12 crore for vehicles used for evacuation, Rs 7 crore for generators, and Rs 1 crore for the construction of a Bailey Bridge. At an outlay of Rs 75,000 per body, the government said it incurred an expense of Rs 2.76 crore for burying 359 bodies.
According to a report from The Hindu, the state had estimated that it had incurred a material loss of Rs 281 crore in a report. Citing sources, the report said Kerala would need at least Rs 600 crore for the development of a township planned for the rehabilitation of the survivors. It also said that Kerala was seeking Rs 900 crore as compensation.
Stating that the costs were inflated within permissible limits, Kerala Chief Secretary to CM Sarada Muraleedharan said the proposal for the Wayanad rehabilitation package was done following the Union government’s norms. “Actual costs are much higher than the amount submitted and additional funds would be sourced from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMDRF). Several expenses, such as the rent for interim accommodation for those who lost their homes, cannot be included as per the central guidelines,” she said.
The inflation seems to have also stemmed from the confrontational attitude of the Union government with respect to the Wayanad landslides, which have claimed the lives of more than 200 people. TNM, in its weekly newsletter Powertrip, had reported that the Union Ministry of Environment was urgently searching for scientists and researchers to write articles on how the Kerala government’s poor policies regarding quarrying have led to the landslide.
On July 31, Amit Shah said the Union government should not be blamed as information was given well in advance and even a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was sent to the state. The state government has also been critical of the Union government's approach towards the states in terms of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation and devolution of central funds, with ministers stating that the Union government was showing "serious discrimination" towards Kerala.