Declare Kerala floods a national disaster, Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Aug. 18 The Congress on Saturday requested the Centre to declare Kerala floods a national disaster.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Dear PM, Please pronounce #Kerala floods a National Disaster immediately. The lives, job and eventual fate of a large number of our kin is in question."

His statement comes a hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Rs 500 crore interval alleviation to the state following an audit meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister KJ Alphons. This is notwithstanding Rs. 100 crore declared by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12.

In the interim, different Congress leaders also requested more assistance from the Centre and different states for flood-hit state. Congress pioneer PC Chacko said that "Thousands of people are marooned and confronting an exceptionally extreme, basic circumstance and more crisis clearing activity is required. What is being done is apparent yet we require more assistance from the Center and different states as Kerala is in distress".

Resounding comparative perspectives, Congress representative Randeep Surjewala contemplated out that the state could get more assets from the Center if the catastrophe was proclaimed a national debacle. "Kerala surge is a sad sight to see.

Be that as it may, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the idea of such classification as national fiasco for Kerala surges. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy attested, "Kerala floods is a serious issue. It is pitiful to see the photos and the pictures. They are stunning. Be that as it may, surges do happen, not simply in India but rather in different nations as well. I think the focal government is doing its most ideal in all ways. Presently it is the district level authorities who need to take a shot at further orders."

On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh declared Rs 10 crore worth of quick alleviation. Other than him, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have also announced immediate financial help for the relief works.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala, directed an airborne survey of the damages caused due to flash floods and took stock of the situation.