THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Assembly on Thursday witnessed fierce arguments between the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF over Ockhi. The Opposition also demanded a judicial probe into the alleged lapses of the state government and staged a walkout after permission was denied for an adjournment motion on the matter. While Chief Minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan maintained that the government made all humanly possible rescue initiatives despite no advance cyclone warnings, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded that the state disaster management authority, which failed to evaluate the alerts from central agencies, be revamped immediately.
The Opposition also flayed the government for not being able to confirm the exact number of those missing. The Opposition trooped into the well shouting slogans and displaying hoardings with pictures of over 100 persons still missing after Ockhi. Replying to an adjournment motion alleging government failure in taking precautionary measures against Ockhi, the Chief Minister reiterated the government’s stand that there were no formal cyclone warnings till November 30 noon and there was also no alert for total suspension of fishing. Even union home minister Rajnath Singh had upheld this stand, he added.
Mr. Vijayan also said that the state government made all humanly possible rescue and relief measures, which was even hailed by Tamil Nadu. “The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister himself had appreciated the rescue activities initiated by Kerala and many Ockhi-affected persons in Tamil Nadu was pressing for Kerala model relief measures. Many were even demanding that Kanyakumari and nearby regions should be rejoined to Kerala considering the Kerala government's relief and rescue initiatives,” said Mr. Vijayan.
While the Opposition leader flayed the government for using disaster management funds to hire a helicopter for the Chief Minister, Law Minister A K Balan said that no money from Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund was used for the purpose. While the Opposition highlighted the protest against the Chief Minister when he visited Ockhi-hit areas, the LDF countered by citing newspaper reports of local people blocking then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Karunagapally during the Tsunami.
Congress MLA M Vincent, who gave the notice for an adjournment motion on the matter, said that Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep administrations had taken necessary precautions based on the alerts of central agencies and hence the casualties there could be minimised. However, the Kerala government failed to take any precautionary measures and hence heavy casualties occurred, said the Kovalam MLA.
