New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday met prime minister Narendra Modi and requested him to expedite the establishment of AIIMS at Kinalur, Kozhikode and to provide funds for the rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad.

Speaking to reporters at the Kerala House in New Delhi, Pinarayi said he had urged that ₹2,221 crore be sanctioned to Kerala and treated as a grant, not a loan.

“I explained to the Prime Minister the state’s ongoing financial crisis and the urgent need to restore Kerala’s borrowing capacity,” he said.

The chief minister acknowledged past differences between the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala and the BJP-led central government over funds for Wayanad relief. “Many lives were lost, and massive damage was caused due to last year’s natural calamity in Wayanad,” he said.

Pinarayi Vijayan shared a photo of the meeting with the prime minister on his X handle and noted that during his visit to the national capital, he also held discussions with Union ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari on Thursday.

PTI inputs