'Turned Disaster Into Money-Grabbing Scheme': BJP And IUML Accuse Kerala Government Of Corruption In Wayanad Landslide Relief Work

The Bharatiya Janaya Party (BJP) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of Kerala of corruption in the relief work in the aftermath of the Wayanad landslides disaster.

The opposition parties have accused the government of inflating the costs, claiming that many of the services attributed to government spending were actually provided by volunteers free of charge.

"The inflated spending for ‘relief’ by the state disaster management authority in Kerala High Court for the Wayanad Landslides reeks of corruption and misappropriation," BJP state president K Surendran said.

In response, the government clarified that the figures submitted to the High Court in a suo motu petition were not actual expenditures but part of a memorandum presented to the Union government seeking Central aid.

According to the government, the estimates were prepared following National Disaster Response Fund guidelines, covering potential cost escalations, The Hindu reported.

Some media outlets, however, reported that the government claimed to have spent Rs 2.76 crore for burying 359 bodies, with Rs 75,000 allocated per body. This was also mentioned by Surendran.

"The Vijayan government has shamelessly turned the disaster into a corrupt money-grabbing scheme... The CPM-led LDF government fixated on how to exploit the tragedy for their gain," he alleged on X.

IUML leader P K Kunjalikutty echoed similar concerns, demanding transparency and accusing the government of disrespecting the efforts of volunteers.

The CM's office responded, accusing a section of the media of misrepresenting the memorandum, which was aimed at securing Central aid, as actual expenditure.

They argued that the misreporting was a deliberate attempt to undermine the government's efforts to maximise aid for the victims, while Surendra sought Vijayan's resignation.