The Mundakkai-Chooralmala township project has allotted homes to 149 more disaster survivors in its second phase, with the houses scheduled to be ready for occupation by November 30, Kerala Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar said. The government has also extended the subsistence allowance for survivors living in rented homes until December.
The allotments were made through a lottery inaugurated at the MSA Auditorium in Meppadi. The second phase covered eligible beneficiaries listed under Phase 2A, Phase 2B and the appeals list. The allotted houses are spread across four township zones: 23 in Zone 1, six in Zone 3, 14 in Zone 4 and 106 in Zone 5.
The first phase of the project resulted in 178 houses being handed over to beneficiaries. Kumar said the government would proceed with allotting the remaining houses to eligible survivors in subsequent phases. He also said the government was approving, without dispute, the suggestions and requirements raised by elected representatives and the district administration in connection with the township.
Agriculture Minister T Siddique said rehabilitation activities being carried out in phases were nearing completion. Construction work on the second-phase houses is expected to continue until November 20. An assessment meeting will then be held for beneficiaries, who will be allowed to visit their allotted homes and submit written complaints about any issues. Further action will be planned after the complaints are reviewed, Siddique said.
The district administration established a help desk after the lottery to allow beneficiaries to verify details of their allotted houses. The process is intended to give families access to information about their specific homes before the houses are made available for occupation.
The allotment has also reconnected survivors who had been living separately since the disaster. Radha and Nabeesa, who had stayed in rented houses in Kunnamangalam and Vengappally, were reunited after both were included in the second-phase list. Nabeesa was allotted House No. 140 in Cluster K of Zone 1, while Radha received House No. 308 in Cluster A of Zone 5.
For Shaija Baby, the township provides a permanent home after she lost her house and nine family members in the disaster. The report said Shaija identified the bodies of five relatives, while four others remain missing. She spent 11 days working at the mortuary and also assisted at hospitals and relief camps. She was later honoured with the Kerala Sree award for her service at the disaster site.
The next formal step is the assessment of the houses after construction work ends on November 20. Beneficiaries will then inspect the homes and submit written complaints before the government plans further action and advances the remaining allotments.
