When disaster relief accounts become a disaster

The figures submitted by the state government to the Centre and the High Court regarding the amount to be spent on relief activities related to the landslide disaster in Wayanad have sparked a new political controversy. The main complaint is that many of the figures in the memorandum are staggering and do not match with reality. The government's explanation is that this is only an estimate based on disaster management rules and norms and need not be seen as an actual expenditure. However, many of the figures that have come out cannot be regarded as mere conjectures. That is because this includes figures that have actually been spent too.

The discrepancies in the figures have become a big topic of discussion in society because they also include figures of money spent for thirty days from the day after the disaster occurred. While the government says this is only an expected figure of the expenditure, the huge amounts mentioned as spent on funerals, feeding those in the camps, the daily expenses of the soldiers, the food of volunteers, the distribution of clothes for the victims of the disaster, etc., cannot be readily accepted. The government also knows that these are not hypothetical figures. Since the first phase of disaster management works have been completed, what remains are the rehabilitation and reconstruction works that will require a huge amount of money. Even if the estimates associated with these are exaggerated a little bit, it can be forgiven. This is because such actions require more money than the estimate.

The current controversy could have been avoided if the exact figure of the amount already spent had been released separately. There is no need for inference in the case of completed works. There is no need for estimated figures since the authorities concerned have accurate information on the money spent on rescue and allied activities. While the cost of cremating 350 bodies was Rs 2.77 crore, the average cost per body has to be assumed as Rs 75,000. Many figures are like this. From the moment the landslide tragedy came to light, aid was flowing to Wayanad in the form of cash and goods. Many things, including the cremation of the deceased, were done by the volunteers without accepting a single rupee. Those who have written down unbelievable rates for many things and drafted the memorandum may not have thought that it would be discussed in the future.

The chief minister was seen to have opined that the government's regular critics were trying to sabotage the relief assistance the state deserves by creating a smokescreen without properly understanding things. The chief minister is putting the media in the dock over the issue. There is no point in blaming anyone for the lapses in the preparation of a memorandum by government officials. The only way out is to reschedule and publish the actual figures of expenditure so that the people can understand them and put an end to criticism. By whatever criteria, many of the figures that have just come out are not consistent with reality. The Centre has not yet announced any assistance for the reconstruction work and relief work related to the Wayanad tragedy. It's been a month since the Prime Minister visited and left promising all available help. The controversies regarding expenditures during the Wayanad disaster that are emerging now should not in any way come in the way of the announcement of central assistance.