UAE has offered ₹700 crore assistance, new Kerala has to be built, says CM Vijayan  

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended ₹700 crore as financial assistance to rebuild the flood-ravaged state.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to hundreds of thousands of Keralites, has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it would be providing ₹700 crore for Kerala, Vijayan told the media.

"A new Kerala has to be built. At today's cabinet meeting, it has been decided to submit a detailed list to the Centre," he said.

"Funds are the prime requisite for this. This will be raised by us through various sources besides getting it from the Centre and other agencies," he said.

"The Kerala diaspora has been a huge source of help for us. Since they have done tremendous service in the Middle East, it has helped build good relations with the governments there.

"Today morning, the UAE rulers informed our Prime Minister about their contribution for Kerala and this was conveyed to me by MA Yusuf Ali (who owns Lulu Supermarkets)," he said, thanking the Emirate for the timely help.

Vijayan said they would ask the Centre to allow Kerala to increase the market borrowings from 3% of the state's total revenue to 4.5 per cent. As a result an additional ₹10,000 crore can be raised.

"We have decided to approach agencies like NABARD whose mandate includes providing for infrastructure and drinking water.

"We will demand a special package for the state," said Vijayan.

Following the devastating floods, over one million people are now sheltered in 3,274 relief camps in the state. The death toll since the monsoon rains began on May 29 has been estimated at around 370.

Till Monday, the total contributions received to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund was ₹210 crore while another ₹160 crore has been pledged.

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has suffered an estimated loss of over ₹220 crores in the floods, an official said.

He said the CIAL management has launched rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure including 2.5 km long airport walls that collapsed after Periyar river overflowed.

He said the solar power system of the world's first solar-powered airport has also suffered damage in the floods.

"We have launched efforts on a war-footing to rebuild the damaged infrastructure. Our initial assessment is that we have suffered an estimated loss of ₹220 crores in the floods," the official said, adding around 200 workers have been engaged to clean up the terminal building.

The airport is expected to be reopened next week.

A special session of the Kerala Assembly has been called from August 30 to discuss the huge destruction caused by the worst flooding in nearly a century and to chart the future course of action.

with inputs from IANS and PTI