When Ernakulam Paravur Ezhikkara native and housewife Shaila was standing in a ‘morn-to evening’ queue in Thrikkakara Collectorate with a complaint regarding flood relief, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was busy, holding a review meeting on post-flood reconstruction activities.

The chief minister also gave the instruction to resolve complaints regarding the construction of houses destroyed during floods and distribute relief amount before May end. The government is expecting to get Rs 3596 crore as Wolrd bank loan.

Besides this, the State government will spend Rs 1541 crore. In the current financial year, the aim is to expend Rs 5137 crore for reconstruction activities.

Many affected people are still going from one government office to another, asking for help.

Shaila who waited in the queue from morning 9 till evening 5 and collapsed is just one such affected person.

Making such people to stand for hours on end after giving them tokens is cruelty.

More than eight months have passed since floods ravaged the State but still, the necessary verification procedures are going on. This can be seen as only the flaw from the part of officers concerned, making the life of flood-hit people even more miserable.

It seems the spirit of officers seen during the flood times has died down. Steps should be taken to resolve the flood relief petitions as the poll-related duties are over now.

Petitions should be considered with compassion. Usually, they are rejected or delayed for some flimsy errors.

These are issues that can be resolved very easily. The government and people should rise to the occasion. The long wait for help is more miserable than the flood.