The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] of organised embezzlement of flood relief funds.
It staged a walkout in the Assembly stating that the government denied relief to thousands of persons whose lives were disrupted by two back-to-back floods in 2018 and 2019. At the same time, it allowed its political apparatchiks to “misappropriate” financial assistance meant for them.
Suicide of beneficiary
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator N. Shamshudeen sought the leave of the House to adjourn routine business to discuss the suicide of Sanal, 38, of Meppadi in Wayanad allegedly due to denial of flood relief. He also drew the attention of the House to the alleged theft of governmental aid by CPI(M) leaders in Ernakulam through the accounts of a service cooperative bank at Ayyanadu at Thrikkakara.
Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan said the government had sanctioned ₹1.99 lakh as flood aid to Sanal. However, the bank rejected the treasury payment because not more than ₹50,000 could be deposited in his Janapriya account. He said the State had resolved the issue.
Moreover, the police had arrested six persons for embezzlement of flood relief funds by tweaking the bill information management system. He said the accused had used fictitious identities to draw ₹16 lakh as flood aid from the treasury.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the theft of flood aid reported from Ernakulam was not a one-off incident. He demanded a probe by the Cental Bureau of Investigation to unearth similar such incidents reported from other districts. Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan rejected the adjournment motion stating he was satisfied with the government’s reply.
