Kerala government has asked for compensation or accept the UAE offer

The Kerala government has asked the Centre to go by the 2016 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) while taking a call on the UAE government’s offer of ₹700 crore in assistance or compensate the State for the loss of such a hefty sum.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed the UAE government making the ₹700 crore offer. It is only natural for nations to help each other. Moreover, the National Disaster Management Plan, brought out by the Central government in May 2016, does state clearly that any voluntary offer of assistance from other countries can be accepted,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told a news conference here on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought a Rs 2,600 crore special package from Centre as the state has reportedly suffered a loss of about Rs 20,000 crore. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an assistance of Rs 500 crore to go with Rs 100 crore aid released by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the amount stands far from what the Kerala CM had asked for.