Wayanad: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called for immediate action to support those affected by the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides in Wayanad. During a PAC meeting, a demand was made to waive the loans of the victims. The committee emphasised that necessary steps should be taken within 15 days as part of discussions on banking sector reforms.

Held in Kochi, the meeting included discussions on various topics such as railways, environment, defence, finance, and surface transport. The committee suggested increasing access to more 'micro' loans to support traditional sectors.

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The PAC also stressed the need to address urgent disparities when classifying coastal local bodies, highlighting that similar local councils must be treated equitably. It recommended that the state incorporate the excluded councils, taking into account the current population and the changing urban nature of the councils, rather than relying solely on the 2011 census data. The state assured that actions in this regard would be initiated.

PAC Chairman K C Venugopal led the meeting, which was attended by members including MPs Jagadambika Pal, Dr Amar Singh, Balashowry Vallabbhaneni, Dr C M Ramesh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Saugata Roy, Tiruchi Shiva, Jayprakash and Aparajita Sarangi.

The meeting was also attended by key officials, including Deputy Director General M G Jayasree from the Ministry of Finance, SBI MD Ashwini Kumar Tiwari, Canara Bank MD Satyanarayana Raju, Indian Bank MD S L Jain and Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak.