National disaster tag: Centre accused of withholding intimation until Wayanad bypoll voting was over

New Delhi: Allegations have emerged that the Union government delayed informing the Kerala government about its decision on whether the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad district would be declared a national disaster, waiting until after the conclusion of voting in the Wayanad by-election.

The letter informing the Kerala government that the landslides would not be declared a national disaster was handed to Kerala’s special representative, KV Thomas, on Thursday, November 14 — a day after the Wayanad by-elections. However, the official letter was dated November 10. The four-day delay has sparked accusations that the central government intentionally withheld the communication until after the polls had concluded.

On Thursday, KV Thomas received an email from Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, confirming the Centre’s decision not to categorise the landslides as a national disaster. Thomas responded to the delay allegations, telling Mathrubhumi News that he “could not rule out” the perception that the announcement had been deliberately postponed to avoid influencing the by-election.

In August, Kerala’s Chief Minister had formally requested that the July landslides be declared a national disaster. The state government also raised the issue with a central team that visited Kerala. Three months have passed since the team’s report was submitted. The Centre’s letter states that the landslide does not meet the criteria for a national disaster, but reportedly does not provide detailed reasons for this decision.

KV Thomas criticised the Centre’s decision, suggesting that political motives may be behind the lack of support for Kerala. He added that such delays and neglect could lead to the perception of political bias.

The main criticism is that even though the Union Minister of State signed the letter on November 10, it was only sent by email on November 14, likely due to the by-elections. The letter reached the Kerala government the day after the election, in which the affected people of Wayanad voted. Congress claims the central government took this decision to avoid providing assistance after Priyanka Gandhi decided to contest from Wayanad.

Congress leaders have also suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using selective disaster funding as a political tool, favouring states with ruling-party influence while denying Kerala much-needed aid.

Kerala Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes, OR Kelu, responded by saying that the central government is ignoring this tragedy, which has shocked the world.

The Kerala government is now considering political and legal options to challenge the Centre’s decision.

Kerala MPs plan to bring the issue to the forefront in the upcoming Parliament session, highlighting what they perceive as an inequitable policy on national disaster declarations.

It is also alleged that the Centre’s criteria for recognising a national disaster are “inhumane”, with claims that other states receive ample funding for minor calamities while Kerala’s major disasters go unsupported.