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Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday visited the Wayanad township to meet the survivors of Mundakkai and Chooralmala landslides, highlighting that the party has promised 100 houses for them, claiming that the Central government has been lacking in their efforts for survivor's rehabilitation.
Speaking to the reporters, Gandhi said, "Some trees should be planted here. Whatever works that are being done for the survivors of the tragedy are welcome...Congress party has promised 100 houses...I commend all political parties for their efforts...Unfortunately, the centre has not been forthcoming." On Thursday, she, along with her brother, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi laid the foundation stone for houses set to be constructed by the Congress party for victims of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide in Wayanad. Addressing the gathering, the Wayanad MP recalled the aftermath of the tragedy and expressed solidarity with the affected families. "This terrible tragedy struck you here, struck us here in Wayanad. I travelled here with my brother for one of the first times that I was coming here. I had come before, but only during election time. When I came that day, what I saw will never leave me. You had lost everything. Your homes, your families, your schools, your shops, your businesses, everything," she said. Lauding the resilience of the community, Gandhi said that their courage struck her the way all the victims stood together and helped each other. "But what struck me most was your courage, your pride and the way every single person here did whatever they could to help you. And the way that all of you stood together, helping each other, no matter what religion you belong to, no matter what different sections you belong to. You all stood together, you supported each other, you gave each other courage, you gave each other love when you needed it most. I was not your MP then. My brother was. I am your MP now. But between that time and now, I have also become your daughter, your sister and a member of your family. And I have watched the different struggles you have faced through this period," she added. Hailing all political parties for helping and supporting the victims during the tragedy, she emphasised that the Congress party raised its voice in Parliament and also wrote letters to the Prime Minister. Priyanka Gandhi further detailed the housing project, stating, "Shortly after the tragedy, my brother had come here and said that we will build a hundred houses for those who have lost their homes. As your sister, it pains me that this process took as long as it did. It is our objective to provide a one eleven hundred square foot house along with eight cents of land to each beneficiary." On July 30, 2024, Kerala was hit with one of the deadliest landslides in the state, which killed a total of 300 people and destroyed scores of houses and other buildings. On March 29, Priyanka Gandhi inaugurated and launched a scholarship distribution for higher education for the survivors of the landslide. (ANI)
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