Unprecedented Support From Centre During Floods, Says Kerala PWD Minister

Alappuzha: Amid spat between the Centre and the Kerala government over receiving foreign aid, Kerala public works minister G Sudhakaran on Tuesday said the state received unprecedented support from the former during the floods.

Sudhakaran, who was part of a mass cleaning drive in Alappuzha's Kuttanad area, told News18 that both central and state governments stood hand in hand to help the affected people of Kerala at the critical time.

"There was no fight between centre and state during the floods, there was a difference of opinion between both the governments regarding the relief amount allocated. We demanded more amount than what the union government had offered," said Sudhakaran adding flood was also great diplomatic battle which they fought maintaining the ties between both the governments.

"We didn't fight with just floods, poverty and diseases, it was also a battle to bring the citizens and governments together," Sudhakaran told News18.

Earlier in the day, G Sudhakaran was seen leading the clean-up efforts at SDV School, which is also doubling up as a relief camp. A massive cleaning drive is going on in Kuttanad inn Alappuzha district where more than 50,000 volunteers from all walks of life have come down to take part in the clean-up exercise.

The army of volunteers, including ministers, electricians, plumbers, snake catchers, bureaucrats and others, will camp for the next three days in Kuttanad, the first area to be hit by the floods that have killed more than 300 people.