The Hindu : Kerala News : Kerala Government seeks public aid for monsoon relief

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Friday, Aug 17, 2007
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Kerala Government seeks public aid for monsoon relief

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister’s plea to contribute to relief fund
Centre’s primary assistance of Rs. 50 crore “insufficient”

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has urged all public and private sector undertakings and organisations to liberally contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund within the next one week in order to provide more substance to the Government’s attempts to reach assistance to those who have been affected by rain havoc and sea erosion.

The Chief Minister made the appeal at a meeting convened here on Thursday to mobilise funds for the relief fund. Representatives of banks, Information Technology companies and residents’ associations attended the meeting. He said the State would need Rs. 2,000 crore to provide assistance to the victims of an unprecedented rain havoc during this monsoon. He said 206 persons had died in the havoc, which damaged 50,000 houses and caused crop losses worth crores of rupees.

The State Government had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister seeking assistance. A Central team that visited the affected districts had admitted that the situation was graver than what had been made out in the memorandum. The Rs. 50 crore that the Centre had released as primary assistance was insufficient. It was in this context that he was appealing for liberal contribution.

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said the State-level meeting had been convened on the basis of the recommendations at various meetings held at the district-level. He urged all sections to ensure that their contributions were made within the next one week. Chief Secretary Lissie Jacob and her colleagues in the Revenue and Finance Departments attended the meeting. Radha Unni, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India; K.M. Purushothaman, Union Bank; Pernigamala Ramachandran, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi; also attended the meeting.

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