Wayanad rehabilitation: CPI(M) accuses Congress of lack of transparency in fund use

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] on Tuesday (January 13, 2025) accused the Congress party in Kerala of lacking transparency in the funds collected by the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) to build a township for families who lost their homes in the Wayanad landslides. 

CPI(M) State committee member and Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan was “tying himself in knots trying to explain the lack of transparency” in the use of significant funds collected by the Congress from the public in the name of Wayanad rehabilitation.

He said people were doubtful that the Congress had diverted funds to hold its recent two-day leadership camp, Lakshya, at a seven-star resort in Wayanad. “The Congress owed people an explanation as to whether it illegally diverted Wayanad funds for the UDF’s local body election war chest,” he said.

Mr. Rajesh said the Congress had claimed that it would lay the foundation stone for the promised houses on the party’s founding day on December 28. “But nothing has moved on the ground,” he added. 

Mr. Rajesh alleged that the then Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran had openly dissuaded the public from contributing to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) for Wayanad rehabilitation. (The CPI(M) had earlier alleged a lack of transparency in the funds collected by the Youth Congress through lucky dips and food festivals.)

The controversy snowballed after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated last week that the government had no indication that the Congress had purchased land or begun construction to fulfil its promise to build new houses for the landslide survivors. He also rejected Mr. Satheesan’s “attempt” to include the assistance provided by the Karnataka government under the Congress’ account. 

Mr. Vijayan stated that the transactions were government-to-government. “Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu had also provided Kerala assistance to build a township for the displaced residents of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, he said. 

Mr. Satheesan said last week that the registration of the land purchased by the Congress for building a township was in its final stages. He accused the government of sitting on the ₹742 crore contributed by the public and Congress-led State governments for Wayanad rehabilitation.