India News | Don't Differentiate Between Plane Crash, Landslide Victims: Muraleedharan
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Kerala government should not differentiate between the victims of the Karipur plane crash and the Rajmala landslide, said Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan during his visit to the landslide site on Sunday.
Idukki (Kerala) [India], Aug 9 (ANI): The Kerala government should not differentiate between the victims of the Karipur plane crash and the Rajmala landslide, said Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan during his visit to the landslide site on Sunday.
"It is not right for the government to take a separate stand in each place. It is not right for the Chief Minister to be selective," Muraleedharan told reporters.
Earlier on Friday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased in the Rajamala landslide tragedy. However, the Kerala government, on Saturday, announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each passenger who died in the Air India Express flight that veered off the runway while attempting to land at the Karipur International Airport on August 7.
But Chief Minister said the prime importance is rescue operations and arranging treatment for people who survived the landslide. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan and Power Minister M M Mani are also camping at the site and leading the rescue operations in Idukki.
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Taking to his Twitter and Facebook handles, Chennithal wrote, "The families of those who died in the tragedy should also be given financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each. The amount declared in Karipur should be paid here as well. The government should not have been criticised for being so divisive. The locals are dissatisfied that the Chief Minister did not visit the site of the tragedy."
He added on this Facebook post that he doesn't want to cause controversy at this point and is just sharing the sentiments of the local residents.
The Chief Minister had been unable to visit the Rajamala landslide site, while he paid a visit to Kozhikode Medical College where the passengers of Air India flight AXB1344 are being treated and took stock of the situation on Saturday. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)