Kerala bank deducts loan EMIs from Wayanad landslide survivors' relief aid
Wayanad: Kerala Gramin Bank has deducted loan EMIs from the emergency relief aid provided by the state government to survivors of the Wayanad landslides, according to a report by The Times of India.
The bank, with the Centre holding a majority stake (50% directly and 35% through Canara Bank), reportedly deducted up to Rs 5,000 from several victims' accounts soon after they received the relief funds. Rajesh, a dairy farmer who lost his cattle shed and eight cows in the landslide, was planning to use the relief amount to secure a rented house but was surprised when Rs 3,400 was deducted as a loan EMI.
Similarly, Mini Mol, who had taken a Rs 50,000 loan for house construction, reported that Rs 3,000 was deducted from her relief aid. This occurred despite Kerala Bank’s recent announcement to waive loans for those impacted by the devastating landslides in Wayanad.
Minister Vasavan criticised the deductions, describing them as "indecent" and noted that the bank manager could have handled the situation more humanely, even without a formal directive from the state-level bankers' committee (SLBC). The Wayanad deputy collector, who is acting as the CEO of the district disaster management authority, has directed the bank to return the deducted amounts. However, when the SLBC general manager contacted the Gramin Bank's chief, the deductions were attributed to standing instructions in the accounts before the disaster.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
