Kalpetta: As the Left Democratic Front (LDF) prepares to lay the foundation stone for the proposed township to rehabilitate Wayanad landslide victims on March 27, two sets of protests are brewing in the disaster-hit district.
While some farming families protested at Chooralmala on Wednesday over being left out of the beneficiary list, annother group of landslide survivors plans to protest at the District Collectorate on Thursday, accusing the state government of failing to keep its rehabilitation promises.
Protest for inclusion
More than 50 families from Chooralmala School Road and Padavettikunnu staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding inclusion in the list of beneficiaries. Many families from School Road were severely affected by the landslide, with houses washed away, leaving many residents in shock. The protesters have also demanded Rs 300 per day as compensation, which the state government had promised to provide until rehabilitation was completed. Many families only received this payment for two months after the disaster.
The landslide-hit regions of Wayanad. File Photo: Manorama.
Protest for better compensation
The government has published three lists of beneficiaries, including 242 families, so far. According to a district administration communique, only 21 survivors from Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides have agreed to the government’s proposal of a house on 7 cents of land or Rs 20 lakh in financial aid. While 20 opted for a house in the township, one chose the Rs 20 lakh compensation.
The communique also revealed that only 196 families attended a face-to-face meeting with District Collector D R Meghasree. Among the 89 people from the first list of beneficiaries, only eight agreed to take a house. Meanwhile, 175 families have refused to sign any documents expressing willingness to join the scheme, citing dissatisfaction with the government’s approach.
The survivors’ action council has been demanding Rs 40 lakh as compensation for those opting out of the scheme or at least 10 cents of land in the township project. “We are not asking for freebies,” said Naseer Palakkan, chairman of Janashabdam, the survivors’ action council. “There are huge funds donated by compassionate people across the globe for the Mundakkai-Chooralmala victims, which have been pumped into the CM’s relief fund.”
Survivors demand changes to house designs
Many survivors have requested changes to the proposed house designs, including levelled roofs instead of sloped ones and relocating staircases from outside to inside. Some have also sought permission to rear cattle and requested space for religious centres and a burial ground. There are also demands to prioritise local shop owners from Chooralmala when leasing out township shops.
“Many families lived in concrete houses with all facilities and sufficient land,” Naseer said. “The negative attitude of the state government is clear in the final list, which includes only 242 families, while the chief minister had promised 10 cents of land for each family.”
Kalpetta MLA T Siddique criticised the state government for delaying the project. “The government wants to delay the project and take credit just before the next election. If the summer rains begin, it will be difficult to start construction, and the victims will remain homeless,” Siddique said.
“It took seven months for the government to select the land. They also failed to support sponsors who were ready to build over 1,000 houses — enough to accommodate all the displaced families,” Siddique added.
The deadline to sign the willingness certificate for the township project or alternative compensation scheme is March 24. The final list will be completed by April 13 and published on April 20.