Landslides: Kerala Govt warns against ‘condemnable’ loan repayment demands

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 7 (PTI) The Kerala government has issued a stern warning to private financial institutions forcing landslide-displaced people in Wayanad to repay loans, terming the move “inhuman” and “condemnable”.

State Public Works Department Minister P A Muhammed Riyas expressed his dismay in a post on Facebook, saying the issue was discussed in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

It is “unacceptable” that private financial institutions are “pressuring” people in relief camps, who have lost loved ones and are struggling to cope, to repay loans at this critical juncture, he said.

Riyas said that government representatives will engage with the management of these institutions to resolve the issue. “If they persist with such a stance, the state government will take stern action,” he warned.

The Kerala government’s strong stance came amidst reports that certain financial institutions had been telephoning survivors of the July 30 landslides in Wayanad, urging them to repay the loans they had taken.

The number of deaths resulting from the devastating landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad on July 30 has increased to 226, with search-and-rescue operations still underway in the affected areas.