Kerala to Take Over ₹18.75 Crore in Loans for Wayanad Landslide Survivors
The state plans to use the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, with transfers to banks to follow consultations with the SLBC.
Overview
- The cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan approved assuming liabilities for 1,620 loans held by 555 families affected by the July 2024 Wayanad landslides.
- Payments are to be routed to 21 banks through the Wayanad District Collector after discussions with the State-level Bankers’ Committee.
- A high-level committee led by the Chief Secretary, including the Disaster Management and Finance Secretaries, will finalize eligibility and handle complaints.
- The government will press for waiver of any interest accrued during the moratorium and will raise beneficiaries’ CIBIL score issues with banking authorities.
- Officials cited legal uncertainty after reports that Section 13 of the Disaster Management Act was repealed, prompting the state-led takeover of dues totaling about ₹18.75–₹18.76 crore.