Government’s Handling of Natural Disaster Draws Criticism; Satheesan’s Earlier Remarks on Pinarayi Go Viral

Thiruvananthapuram: The government’s alleged serious failures in responding to the natural disaster in the state have triggered widespread criticism. The government has been accused of failing to coordinate relief operations and issue effective instructions to address the crisis.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who is also the chairperson of the State Disaster Management Authority, has been criticised for what has been described as a lack of urgency and inadequate intervention since the beginning of the crisis, further worsening the situation.

Meanwhile, discussions have gained momentum over how former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan handled the crisis during the devastating floods of 2018. At a time when even UDF MLAs have complained that the Chief Minister is not available over the phone and that the government has been unable to effectively address the crisis, Satheesan’s earlier remarks praising Pinarayi’s approach have gone viral on social media.

In an earlier interview with Malayala Manorama, Satheesan had described Pinarayi as a leader who would take a decision whenever contacted, regardless of the time. He said this was one of the qualities that made him feel close to Pinarayi in his roles as a political leader and Chief Minister.

“During the devastating floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, I called Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan several times to bring certain matters to his attention. Either he would answer the phone himself or call back within 10 minutes. He would listen to the matter, after which either he or the concerned officials would inform us of the response. This certainly surprised me,” Satheesan had said.

“He would clearly say either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If the answer was ‘no’, he would clearly explain the reason. If it was ‘yes’, he would say, ‘This is a serious matter; it is valid,’ and take the necessary action. In any case, calling him would result in a decision. This is one of the qualities that made me feel close to him as a political leader and Chief Minister,” Satheesan had said.

However, Kuttanad MLA Reji Cherian recently stated that even calls made to the Chief Minister to seek solutions to urgent problems were not being answered. He alleged that both the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister had failed to respond when he called to inform them about the situation and demanded immediate government intervention in flood-affected areas.

MLAs Abin Varkey and Pazhakulam Madhu had also complained that government assistance had not reached the severely affected areas of Aranmula and Ranni in Pathanamthitta.

The Chief Minister arrived in Pathanamthitta only on the fourth day after the flash floods. Residents have expressed resentment over his visit, alleging that he left without visiting any of the major relief camps.