Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asks Diaspora to Donate for Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Admitting that the flood damage was much more than what was estimated, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday urged the Kerala Diaspora to contribute a month’s salary for the state’s reconstruction.

Vijayan’s comments came as the total number of people in relief camps, which stood at 14.5 lakh on August 21, came down to 1.97 lakh on Tuesday as thousands returned to their once flooded homes after they were cleaned up.

“The Kerala Diaspora is already coming out in a big way to help us. What we want is a proper system in place to channelize their resources... I call upon all the Diaspora to contribute a month’s salary over a period of 10 months,” he told the media here.

The government’s priority was to source funds for rehabilitation of the hundreds of thousands displaced and badly hit by the worst floods in Kerala in nearly a century, he said.

“The damage that has taken place is much more than we have estimated and hence funds have to come. But given the response, we are confident, our people will rise to the occasion and come to our help.” Vijayan urged businessmen to think of giving a portion of their earnings to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

All schools in Kerala will reopen after the Onam holidays on Wednesday barring those in Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts which have been turned into camps to house those forced to flee their submerged homes. (IANS)