After a gap of around eight months, the Kerala government will lay the foundation stone for building a model township in Wayanad on March 27, 2025 as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation project for the survivors of the devastating landslides last July.

Revenue Minister K. Rajan announced this while replying to an adjournment motion notice moved by Congress legislator T. Siddique in the Kerala Assembly on Wayanad rehabilitation on Tuesday (March 11, 2025).

However, the Opposition, which criticised the State government in strong terms for “delaying” the rehabilitation of the landslide-affected, walked out of the Assembly after Speaker A.N. Shamseer declined the Opposition’s notice for adjournment motion seeking the leave of the House to debate the issue. The State government had even failed to prepare a detailed list of beneficiaries of the affected people even eight months after the landslides, alleged Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.

The government order fixing the guidelines for availing of the government assistance for the treatment of the injured was issued in February. This speaks enough of the callousness of the State government while dealing with the rehabilitation of the affected, said Mr. Siddique.

‘Delay due to court proceedings’

On the other hand, Mr. Rajan explained that rehabilitation was delayed following the court proceedings. The final approval from the court for the land acquisition was received on December 27. Otherwise, the lintel casting would have been reached by this time, he said.

Centre flayed

Both the Opposition and the ruling sides flayed the Centre for “turning a blind eye” to the request of Kerala.

Though Kerala requested the Centre to include the Wayanad disaster in the L3 category and sought ₹I2,262 crore for rehabilitation, the Centre declared the disaster in the L3 category on December 30, around five months after the disaster. Further, the Central assistance for the rehabilitation came in the form of a loan of ₹529.5 crore, under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), which has to be repaid by Kerala in 50 years, said Mr. Rajan.

The Centre, which “has to act like a guardian angel during the time of a national-level emergency, behaved like a devil”, the Minister alleged.

Mr. Siddique said the Centre’s stance towards Kerala was “against the federal principles” of the country.

Mr. Satheesan said the State government failed to rise to the occasion and coordinate the rehabilitation in an effective manner in the absence of Central support. “No support was given for the higher education needs of the landslide-affected students, and the affected people had to even find money from their pocket to meet the expenses of their treatment until recently,” he said.