Centre waives loans of big businesses, not of Wayanad landslide victims: Priyanka Gandhi
Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad (PTI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticised the central government for not waiving loans of the Wayanad landslides victims, saying it has no hesitation in writing off debts of big businesses.
Priyanka, in a statement issued by the party, was reacting to the central government's stand in the Kerala High Court that it cannot waive the loans of the Wayanad landslides victims.
The Congress MP from Wayanad said she completely agrees with the High Court's observation that the Centre has failed the victims in their time of need.
In a stinging observation, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday said that the Union government has "virtually failed" the victims of the 2024 landslides in Wayanad by not exercising its powers to waive the loans availed by them.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan, also expressed his disagreement with the Centre's stand, terming it a "wrong move".
He said that the landslide victims have all kinds of loans, but no source of income or assets.
"It is in such circumstances that the loans have to be waived," he said.
He said that the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution last year for waiving the loans of the landslide victims, and now, the central government has to take a decision in this regard.
However, the Centre has taken a different stand in the case of Kerala as compared to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and various other north Indian states, he claimed.
"It is a wrong stand by the Centre," he contended.
"We are requesting the Centre to help the victims of the Wayanad landslides, despite the observations of the High Court," he added.
A major landslide struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions on July 30 last year, almost completely decimating both areas.
The disaster claimed over 200 lives and left hundreds injured.
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Abhigyan Kundu hits 209 not out for first-ever double ton in Youth ODIs for India
Dubai (PTI): Wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu on Tuesday created history with first-ever double ton in Youth ODIs for India, scoring an unbeaten against Malaysia in the U-19 Asia Cup match here.
The 17-year-old Kundu thus recorded only the second instance of a double century in Youth ODIs after South Africa's Jorich Van Schalkwyk, who had scored 215 off 153 balls against Zimbabwe earlier this year in Harare.
Batting at No 5, the left-handed Kundu hit an overall 19 fours and seven sixes to smash 209 not out off only 125 balls.
His knock powered India U-19 to a huge 408 for seven batting first.
Earlier in the same tournament, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had scored a 95-ball 171 against the UAE, which is overall the ninth highest individual score in the format.
