THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Out of the Rs 5,000 crore collected from Malayalees around the world for flood relief, Rs 1,030 crore is lying unspent in the Chief Minister's relief fund. The relief fund is now busy collecting funds for the vaccine challenge and confronting Covid.

The Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund is in a special account in SBI Bank near the Secretariat. The account holder is the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department. He signs the check and pays. He cannot sign the check without an order from the Revenue Department.

During the floods of 2018 and the floods of 2019, money was withdrawn from employees and pensioners as a salary challenge. Locals and corporates helped. The cess of alcohol and festival allowance were diverted to flood relief. The total receipt was Rs 4912.45 crore. Of this, Rs 3881.94 crore was spent till March last year. Then there is no movement after that. The government has no excuse for not spending Rs 1030.51 crore. Now the only thing that comes and goes in this account is the Covid expense. Rs 774.38 crore came in so far as part of the vaccine challenge.

It is not clear whether the flood expense was stopped because all the people survived the floods or because there were no plans. The unofficial explanation is that there is no additional cost because the collectors did not report.

Flood relief income

Salary challenge, festival allowance- 1347.58 crore

3149.02 crore from the people and abroad

The cess on liquor- Rs 308.68 crore

107.17 crore for other categories

4912.45 crore in total

Flood relief expense

Rs 2538.90 crore for those who lost their houses and land

Rs 54 crore to farmers

Rs 94.32 crore for distribution of food kits

Rs 19.16 crore for small scale entrepreneurs

Rs 5.4 crore to traders

Rs 261.06 crore through Kudumbasree

Other assistance 909.10 crore

3881.94 crore in total