PM Narendra Modi announces Rs 500 crore as interim relief for Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi after attending the funeral of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, reached Thiruvananthapuram on Friday night. Early this morning, it was expected the PM will take part in a detailed aerial survey of the State, however, it was cancelled due to worse climatic conditions.

Modi took part in a review meeting at a naval base in Kochi on Saturday morning. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan sought for an immediate fund of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre. He pointed out that the total estimate of the losses in the State was around Rs 19,512 crore.

Modi announced an interim relief assistance of Rs 500 crore for Kerala. The Centre had earlier sanctioned Rs 100 crore when Home Minister Rajnath Singh came to visit the State. Following the meeting, Modi went on an aerial sortie and was able to survey only the areas along Aluva-Thrissur. He is set to leave to Delhi now.

Kerala has been facing heavy rains along with flash floods and landslips for nine days now. Reportedly, from August 9-17, 324 lives have been lost. It is one of the worst floods in Kerala in 100 years. Over 80 dams have been opened so far and 2,23,139 people are in relief camps.