Post-Flood Kerala: State Cancels All Govt-Funded Events for a Year

The funds allocated for all the celebrations will now be donated to the chief minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

Heavy rains devastated Kerala in August.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

On account of the rain and floods, and the subsequent relief and rehabilitation, in Kerala, the state government on Tuesday, 4 September, announced that all celebrations organised using government schools, including the School Kalolsavam (arts festival), International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and all celebrations organised by the Tourist Department, will be cancelled for a year.

The statement also mentions that the funds that were allocated for all these celebrations will now be donated to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

According to a report by Manoramaonline, this decision was taken by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan before he left to the United States of America for treatment. It was passed on to all ministers and officials after the order was issued.

It has been reported that the decision was taken without consulting any of the concerned ministers and without discussing it in the Cabinet meeting.

The Kerala Government on 14 August announced that it has cancelled all government-organised Onam celebrations in the state and that the money that was allocated for the celebrations would be donated to the CMDRF.

Govt to Mobilise Funds from Keralities Overseas

In another move to raise funds for the post-floods reconstruction of Kerala, the state government is also all set to mobilise funds from Keralites across the globe. The aim of the government is to raise funds from both within and outside the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a press conference on 31 August.

The government plans to raise funds from UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and UK.

Ministers and officials will be designated for this exercise. Fundraising will also be done in the major cities across India. Scores of people have expressed interest in handing over donations directly to the Chief Minister's office. For those who want to make direct donations, state-wide fund collection programmes will be held and ministers will be in charge of this.

Heavy rains devastated the state in August. Pinarayi Vijayan in a press meet on 30 August said that the death toll in the south-west monsoon in Kerala, from May to August, is 483.

(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)