Wayanad landslides rehabilitation project will meet January 2026 deadline: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

The project at Wayanad to rehabilitate those who lost their houses in the Mundakkai–Chooralmala landslide is very much on schedule and the houses are expected to be handed over by January 2026, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly on Tuesday.

During question hour, Mr. Vijayan said that the construction of the township on 64.4705 hectares of land acquired by the government from Elstone Estate was progressing rapidly. For rehabilitation, the District Disaster Management Authority has prepared and published a resettlement list of 402 beneficiaries in three phases.

The beneficiaries were given the options of choosing between house or financial assistance from the government, he said. A total of 104 beneficiaries opted for financial assistance to reside outside the township, and each of them has been given an assistance of ₹15 lakh. Another 295 beneficiaries have opted for houses.

After publishing the final lists, appeals received were reviewed and 49 additional beneficiaries were included on the rehabilitation list . All efforts are on to meet the 2026 January deadline, Mr. Vijayan said.

In reply to a query from U.A. Latheef, he said that it was to be noted that the State had not received any financial assistance towards Wayanad rehabilitation from the Centre, instead, the Centre had extended an interest-free loan of ₹526 crore. It was heartening that the government had received several offers of financial assistance and support in various forms from different quarters and individuals, Mr. Vijayan said.

Congress MLA T. Siddique urged the Chief Minister to intervene so that the administrative sanction for funds from Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund and the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme was not delayed. Mr. Vijayan replied that the rehabilitation project was on schedule and that that there was no need for undue concern.