In a much-needed relief for those affected by the devastating landslide in Wayanad, the Kerala government has announced a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. On Saturday, the state government revealed that a new township will be established in a secure area to provide housing for those displaced by the catastrophic landslide in the Mundakkai region of Wayanad district.


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During a press conference, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan outlined the details of the rehabilitation process, emphasizing that it will be implemented swiftly and effectively. He mentioned that various offers have been received from the global community to provide land and construct houses for the victims. To coordinate these efforts, a 'Help for Wayanad' cell has been formed under the leadership of Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha IAS.


Vijayan assured that the government's priority is to ensure the swift rehabilitation of the affected families, leveraging both local and international support to rebuild their lives and communities. "The government plans a comprehensive rehabilitation process for the survivors, aiming for swift completion. A new, safer area will be identified for constructing a township. The Education Minister will visit Wayanad to ensure that children's education is not disrupted," Vijayan told the reporters. 


Detailing the offers received, the CM said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has informed that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will construct 100 houses for rehabilitation. Satheesan will be directly in charge of 25 of these houses, Vijayan said. "Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has offered to construct 100 houses. I have called him to express our gratitude," the Kerala CM said. 


As rescue operations in the landslide-hit areas of the district entered fifth day, rescuers unearthed more bodies and body parts, taking the death toll to 215, with around 206 people still reported missing.


On the other hand, the finance ministry on Saturday asked public sector insurance companies including Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to speedily disburse the claim amount to landslide victims and their families in Wayanad and other districts of Kerala. The finance ministry said in a post on X that the insurance companies have initiated efforts for reaching out to their policyholders through various channels (local newspapers, social media, company websites, sms, etc) to provide the contact details for assistance in the districts of Wayanad, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Thrissur, where a significant number of claims are being reported.


"In view of the unfortunate landslide incident and heavy rains in Kerala, the government has mandated the Public Sector Insurance companies (PSICs), including LIC, National Insurance Corporation, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance, and United India Insurance to extend all possible support to the victims of the calamity so that the insurance claims can be expeditiously processed and paid," it said. (With agency inputs)