Thiruvananthapuram, February 19 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the first phase of the Kalpetta township, built for survivors of the 2024 Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides, will be inaugurated on February 25, with houses to be handed over to 175 beneficiaries.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the project fulfils the government’s assurance to those who lost everything in the landslides.
He said the achievement reinforces the government’s claim that it not only makes promises but also implements them.
Vijayan said the journey was not easy, as many had “written them off” and the state was denied the assistance it deserved.
“There were continuous attempts to sabotage and tarnish this initiative. But the people stood by the government, and with their support, it moved forward without retreating or changing course,” the CM said.
He said government employees, workers, ordinary citizens, schoolchildren, and youth all joined hands in the mission and contributed in whatever way they could.
“With the cooperation of all, we have built not just a housing complex. It is a confident response to the neglect and apathy shown towards the state,” he said.
“It is also a symbol of the state’s willpower and resilience,” he added.
Apart from handing over 175 houses, title deeds will be distributed to 178 beneficiaries in the first phase at the inauguration, the CM said.
He added that a total of 327 beneficiaries will be provided with land and houses before the next monsoon season, ensuring full rehabilitation.
Construction of the remaining houses is in the final stages, Vijayan said.
“We are ensuring a safe and dignified new life for those who have lost their loved ones, homes, and land,” he said, thanking everyone involved in the rehabilitation efforts.
The landslides in the Mundakkai–Chooralmala area of Wayanad in July 2024 claimed over 200 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes.