Kerala CM Vijayan accuses media of spreading "fake news" over Wayanad relief fund

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday accused the media of attempting to discredit the State government for allegedly spreading "false narrative" details about its relief efforts for Wayanad landslide.
"The false narrative that Kerala inflated figures to unfairly obtain central aid has unfortunately taken root in the minds of many. And what is the result? The people of Kerala and the government have been discredited on a global scale," Vijayan told reporters here.
"This is not just a matter of false news or a lapse in media ethics. The real problem with fake news is not merely the lies, but the agenda behind them. And that agenda is clearly against the state and its people," Vijayan said.
The Chief Minister said that the support for Wayanad came from all sections of society, and the "fake news" that has surfaced now seems aimed at breaking that support and blocking aid.
"The people are contributing to the relief fund, and the malicious intent behind this misinformation is to discourage them from doing so. Make no mistake--this is not regular journalism. The only term that can describe it is 'destructive journalism.' This destructive journalism is a crime against society. It not only seeks to erode people's trust but also acts as an offence against the community. Those responsible for spreading such falsehoods must realize the gravity of their actions," he said.
The Kerala government in an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court in a suo moto case into the causes and impact of the July 30 Wayanad landslides had listed various figures of money assessed as part of relief and rescue operations.
The government said that it specified the preliminary estimates of expenditure required for various subjects. But the media claimed those figures as actual money spent in the disaster area, the state government said earlier.
"Another accusation made was regarding the millions attributed to volunteers. Media outlets have conveniently omitted the section on "Volunteers and Troops" in the memorandum while presenting these figures. Is it true that transporting the central forces brought in from various parts of the country to Kerala and arranging for their accommodation incurs no costs? Shouldn't we account for expenses related to airfare and the transportation of these personnel and equipment from Kannur and Karipur airports to the disaster site, as well as their return?" Vijayan said.
He said that if the search operations continued for 90 days, the government must account for the expenses of the hundreds of volunteers and rescue personnel.
"Various youth organizations, including political ones, have selflessly served in the disaster-affected areas without asking for money. Should we really convey to the central government that people in Kerala will continue to do this for free?," the CM queried.
"Kerala's rescue and relief operations in Wayanad, following the landslides, have been executed in a manner that has earned widespread praise. The state government continues to extend all possible support to the victims and their families. As of now, Rs 6 lakhs has been provided to 131 families of those who lost their lives, with Rs 4 lakhs coming from the SDRF and Rs 2 lakhs from the CMDRF. A total of Rs 5.24 crore from the SDRF and Rs 2.62 crore from the CMDRF have been spent for this purpose. Additionally, Rs 10,000 was given to each family to cover funeral expenses for 173 victims," he said.