Alappuzha District Development Committee directs speedy completion of Punargeham flats

A meeting of the District Development Committee (DDC) has directed officials to take steps to immediately complete the remaining works of an apartment complex at Mannumpuram, near Purakkad. The facility is being constructed under the Punargeham project of the State government, which aims to rehabilitate fisher families living within 50 metres of the coastline.

The meeting chaired by District Collector Alex Varghese on Saturday (August 23, 2025) suggested identifying families in the district belonging to the extreme poverty category and handing over the flats to them as well. The matter was raised by H. Salam, MLA, at the meeting.

P.P. Chitharanjan, MLA, raised the issue of the delay in providing compensation for damages caused by natural calamities. Officials informed the meeting that of the ₹2 crore sanctioned as compensation in 2024, ₹1.4 crore had been disbursed and the remaining amount would be released soon.

In response to a question raised by Thomas K. Thomas, MLA, regarding the availability of goods at Maveli stores and Supplyco outlets in Kuttanad, officials informed the meeting that arrangements had been made to ensure that all subsidised items, Onam kits, and Samriddhi kits would be available at every outlet before Onam.

The meeting also reviewed the details of inspections conducted in various schools across the district. Based on the findings, it was reported that 51 buildings in different schools needed to be demolished and 102 buildings required repairs. Education department officials informed the meeting that classes were not currently being conducted in these buildings.