Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly on Tuesday that the Centre had not provided financial aid for rehabilitation following the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide disaster in Wayanad, but only extended a conditional loan.

Responding to a question from MLA UA Latheef, the Chief Minister said the state received ₹526 crore from the Union government, but clarified this was not the relief assistance sought by Kerala. Unconditional assistance has not yet been provided, he said, adding that the government was encouraged by the support and promises of help from organisations and individuals even in the absence of Central aid.

Congress MLA T Siddique alleged that despite funds being available from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), court allocations, and the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, administrative approval was delayed for about half of the amount. With the SASCI scheme set to expire on December 31, he urged the Chief Minister to directly intervene to ensure coordination. The Chief Minister responded that arrangements were in place to complete rehabilitation projects on time, assuring that “there is no need for concern.”

Opposition members criticised the government for failing to restore basic facilities in the disaster-hit areas more than a year later. Najeeb Kanthapuram MLA alleged that roads had not been built in wards of Meppadi panchayat designated as a safe zone, and electricity supply had not been restored.

The Chief Minister countered that the Public Works Department had already begun road construction. He also said the demand for permanent passes for disaster victims, who currently need daily special passes to access their homes and resorts beyond the Bailey Bridge, would be examined with public safety in mind.