As the death toll in the landsides at Wayanad crossed the 360 marks by Saturday, the ruling CPI(M) has launched a State-wide collection drive to mobilize money for the disaster relief operations. “Party workers and leaders would make house-to-house visit and make people donate generously to the Rebuild Wayanad mission,” said M V Govindan, the all powerful secretary of the party on Saturday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was expected to donate more than a crore rupees towards the disaster relief fund announced on Saturday that he had given Rs one lakh towards the Wayanad fund and also said that the rescue mission in the district is being called off.
The CPI(M) cadre enthused by the announcement of the party secretary has launched a collection drive including ‘bucket collection’ , according to Prakash Pranam, a social activist in Ernakulam district. Bucket Collection is the mode of mobilization of funds by CPI(M) activists who tour areas allocated to them with plastic buckets and make people part with their money. No receipts are issued and the party has collected crores through these drives in the past.
A right to information activist P Rajiv was told by the Government of Kerala that Rs 380 crore collected during the 2018 flood remain unspent with the Government. Meanwhile the Indian National Congress declared that it would construct 100 houses for the rehabilitation of those who lost their apartments in the landslide and flashflood. More than 400 houses were perished in Tuesday’s landslides at Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas in the district leaving thousands without a roof over their heads. Government of Karnataka, ruled by the Congress Party announced that it would build 100 houses for the victims.