Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Monday voiced his concerns over the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's delay in providing a special package for the rehabilitation of the victims affected by the Wayanad landslide.

“This is the most severe tragedy the state has faced, yet the Centre seems unwilling to fulfill its responsibilities. Home Minister Shah claimed that the hold-up in fund release is due to Kerala's slow response. However, all accusations from the Centre regarding the state are unfounded,” the Chief Minister stated.

He further noted that this isn’t the first instance where Home Minister Amit Shah has managed a situation like that of Wayanad.

“Initially, Amit Shah referenced an imaginary weather report in Parliament. However, no such alert was issued by the Central government. His recent remarks again in Parliament should be interpreted in the same light,” the Chief Minister remarked.

Previously, the Home Minister noted that the Kerala government had only submitted its proposal with an estimate of Rs 2,219.03 crore for recovery and reconstruction on November 13.

Amit Shah also indicated that the Centre had disbursed the first tranche of Rs 145.60 crore on July 31, followed by a second tranche of Rs 145.60 crore on October 1.

“Moreover, sufficient funds amounting to Rs 782.99 crore are present in the State’s SDRF account for relief efforts, including a balance of Rs 394.99 crore,” the Home Minister mentioned.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister pointed out that during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the state, state officials provided a comprehensive presentation to him.

“On August 17, we submitted a memorandum. It has been over three months since this submission. During this same timeframe, the Centre has offered assistance to other states but has overlooked Kerala. We submitted another detailed report on November 13,” the Chief Minister added.

He noted that states like Tripura, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Bihar received Central support, emphasizing that the Centre is not treating Kerala justly.

The Chief Minister insisted that Kerala deserves equal treatment like other states, stating that in recent years, the Union government has not been fair to the state.

“Our state was also treated differently during the 108 floods. While we do not oppose other states receiving aid, we too deserve our fair allocation,” the Chief Minister concluded.