After the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi told media persons that the people of the landslide-affected areas in Wayanad will need at least Rs 2,221 crores to rebuild their lives. The central government has assured some assistance, the specifics of which are yet to be defined.
The Wayanad MP urged Amit Shah to set politics aside and support the affected people. "If the Centre fails to step in to provide relief in such circumstances, it would send a very bad message to the entire country and especially to the victims," she said.
Priyanka said the delegation apprised the home minister of the situation in affected areas in Wayanad where the river's entire course had changed and washed away villages. "Families, houses, businesses, schools, everything has been washed away. In such a situation, if the Central government does not do anything then what can we do? So we appealed to him to set aside politics and help the people from a humanitarian point of view," she said.
The Congress general secretary also said that she told him about the Prime Minister's visit to the disaster-affected areas. ``People expected that the prime minister would do something but till now no help has been extended which is saddening," she said.
She said a plan of action for relief is anticipated. "The loss faced by the people is not limited to material possessions; many have lost family members. "Although the disaster was confined to a small area, its impact was catastrophic, with entire villages being washed away. Numerous children have been orphaned, leaving them without any support system," she said.
In light of this, it is imperative for the central government to intervene and provide the necessary aid. "We have written to both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister in this regard," she said.
The union home minister informed the delegation that he would provide details about what relief had been promised and what had been delivered by Thursday evening.
The delegation comprising 23 Kerala MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to request immediate assistance for the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad.
Three villages of Wayanad; Punchirimattom, Chooralmala and Mundakkai were devastated by the landslides on July 30. Over 250 people lost their lives in one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala.
