Kerala to seek Rs 1358 cr aid from Centre

The state Govt had earlier sought Rs 757 cr as relief during the recent visit of PM.

Kerala government on Wednesday submitted a fresh memorandum to the Centre seeking Rs 1358.62 crore for relief and rehabilitation of people affected by the tsunami disaster.

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The memorandum was handed over to the visiting secretary for Disaster Management AK Rastogi during a meeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had with him to discuss relief work for tsunami victims.

The government had earlier sought Rs 757 crore as relief during the recent visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the tsunami-hit areas of the state.

The fresh memorandum was prepared after assessing the damage to life and property, Chandy told reporters after the meeting.

The Centre had been asked to consider sanctioning the amount as a special package, relaxing the normal guidelines for central funds.

The Centre was favourable to the government's request, he said.

The state would also get a share from the amount the Centre was to collect from MPs' funds.

Special assistance would be provided to women and children affected by the disaster. Talks were on with banks and insurance companies in this regard.

Kerala also urged the centre to declare the state as multi-disaster prone area and make available funds from the Disaster Risk Management Programme, which had UNDP assistance.

Tsunamis had struck most where seawalls were absent and the maximum funds were sought for constructing them, he said.