Keralam Minister T Siddique on Thursday (September 10, 2026) said construction of houses at the rehabilitation township for victims of the 2024 Wayanad landslide was progressing as scheduled and would be completed on time.
He was responding to reporters following a protest by survivors in Kalpetta in Wayanad, who alleged that construction of the township was progressing slowly.
The landslides that struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions in the early hours of July 30, 2024.
The Keralam government subsequently decided to construct a rehabilitation township, with keys to 178 houses handed over to families ahead of the Keralam Assembly elections this year. In the second phase, 157 houses are scheduled to be handed over by September 30.
However, alleging that construction was progressing slowly and that meeting the September 30 deadline would be difficult, landslide survivors organised a protest march near the township earlier in the day.
The protesters alleged that the draw of lots for allotment of houses had not yet been conducted.
They demanded that the draw be held immediately and the houses handed over once construction was completed.
The survivors said they were currently living in rented houses and that the financial assistance provided by the government was insufficient to meet their expenses.
Mr. Siddique, who is also the Kalpetta MLA, however, denied that construction was progressing slowly.
“There are 810 workers at the site today. Yesterday, the same number of workers were present, and today as well, there are 810 people. The work is progressing well,” he told reporters.
The Agriculture Minister said keys to 178 houses had already been handed over and 177 families had moved into their homes.
One house remained unoccupied due to an ongoing court case, he said.
Regarding the remaining houses, he said construction of 110 houses would be completed by the end of September, and all the houses would be completed by October 31.
“The overall construction of all houses will be completed by October 31. That is being carried out strictly in accordance with a prepared weekly work schedule. There has been no delay or pending work of any kind,” he said.
He said the rains had caused a slight delay in painting work, but measures had been taken to complete it without further delay.
Mr. Siddique said all basic amenities in the township would be completed by December, while road construction would begin by early November after the rains subside.
“There is no need for any apprehension regarding this matter. Everything is progressing smoothly as per the schedule set earlier,” he said.
The Minister said the construction was being regularly reviewed at various levels by the concerned authorities.
He said the draw of lots was not linked to the ongoing construction work.
“Once the construction is completed and conditions are suitable to hand over the houses to them, the lot draw can be held immediately. There is no issue with that at all; it is merely a technical formality,” he said.
Mr. Siddique said the disaster victims’ concerns regarding allotment should not be ignored and that the timing of the draw could be discussed and decided.
Rejecting reports that fewer than 500 workers were present at the site, he said he had personally visited the township and reviewed the ongoing work.
On the issue of people who were left out of the beneficiary list, he said the process of reviewing and finalising the list had already begun.
A team had visited the site, and he had subsequently accompanied its members to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority office for discussions, he said.
“Everyone, including the Panchayat governing body, has been asked to come to Thiruvananthapuram. Discussions are being held alongside KSDMA, and steps to finalise the list satisfactorily have already begun,” he said.
Published – September 10, 2026 03:33 pm IST
