Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan pens a heartfelt letter to Rajnath Singh

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, has penned a powerful and heartfelt letter to the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, in wake of the recent loss of lives and property in Kerala floods.

The letter reads:

Dear Shri. Rajnath Singh Ji,
In the wake of the unprecedented heavy rainfall and the devastating floods that Kerala is experiencing in nearly a century, you were kind enough to promptly travel to Kerala to see the damages and visit the relief camps. I express sincere gratitude on behalf of the entire state and on my own behalf, for your timely visit, which was indeed a great solace to us.

Even before your visit, on hearing the calamity that had befallen Kerala, the Hon’ble Prime Minister rang me up and assured all possible assistance. A few weeks back, following severe rainfall and floods in central Kerala, the Hon’ble Minister of State for Home Affairs visited the affected places. We are grateful for the special care and consideration being given by the Union Government, during these difficult times.

We are also grateful to the personnel of the Defence Forces and National Disaster Response Force for their speedy response in assisting the State and District administration in the rescue and relief operations. They are rendering invaluable service. The Hon’ble Prime Minister’s telephonic call, the visit by Ministers including your good self, and the assurance of sending a central team again for the assessment of losses have indeed provided Kerala with the much-needed strength to overcome this calamity of rare severity that we are faced with.

You have seen for yourself the extensive damage to agriculture, houses, commercial establishments, roads and bridges, due to the unprecedented rains and riverine and coastal floods. As you are aware, we have assessed the preliminary loss at Rs. 8316 crores. We appreciate your kind gesture in sanctioning Rs. 100 crore for immediate relief.
As I mentioned, yesterday, only after the flood waters recede completely we will be able to make a total assessment of the losses and chart the required course of action for necessary rehabilitation and rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure.

State looks forward to your continued support and assistance after the final assessment of the damages is completed for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Pinarayi Vijayan

The State Bankers Committee has also directed banks not to charge any bank charges for the reimbursement to the government’s disaster relief fund. There is no charge, including the minimum balance of charges. The Committee has recommended all banks not to levy any financial support. The Bankers Committee has also recommended that the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers donate relief funds through various bank transactions. So far 44 lives have been lost in the Kerala floods and rains. The Kochi airport has been shutdown and all flights suspended till August 18 2.00 PM, as the water levels fail to subside.

JNU students have also appealed to the nation for the victims of the Kerala floods.