Rs 1,236 crore spent so far on relief works: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: An amount of Rs 1,236 crore has so far been spent by the Kerala government on relief works to overcome the devastation caused by the deluge last month, Industries E P Jayarajan said Friday.

"An immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 has been given to 5.70 lakh families till date," he told reporters here.

The amount has to be disbursed to 42,000 more families, which would done in a few days, he said.

The minister said that the families of 193 persons who died in the floods had each been given Rs four lakh.

He said initial estimates by the government has put the losses suffered in the floods at Rs 40,000 crore and added that the state would submit a momorandum to the Centre,seeking relief assistance and compensation for loss and damage.

To a question, he said the government had no further information on the Rs 700 crore aid offer from UAE.

Jayarajan, who now presides over cabinet meetings in the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is away in the U.S for treatment, said the date of his return has not been finalised.

He insisted that Vijayan's absence had in no way affected the administration of the state.

The minister said the fund mobilisation programme for the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund has received a very good response and added that school students collected Rs 15 crore during the fund raising campaign in their institutions on September 11 and 12.