Write off landslide victims' loans, Kerala CM tells banks

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday urged various banks to write off the loans availed by landslide victims and survivors in Kerala's Wayanad.

He said waiving the loans would not impose any unbearable burden upon the banks and so it should be written off completely.

While addressing a meeting of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) here, the CM said relaxation in interest amounts or extension of time for remitting monthly installments would not at all be a solution in the landslide-hit regions.

Many of those who had availed the loans are dead, and their land became unusable after the disaster, he pointed out.

"The only thing we can do is write off the entire loans taken by people in these affected areas," Vijayan said.

He expressed the government's strong displeasure with the act of banks continuing to take monthly installments from the landslide survivors and urged the SLBC to take a favourable decision in this regard.

Vijayan's reaction came amidst intense protests against the Kerala Gramin Bank which has allegedly charged Rs 15,000 as the monthly installment from the account of one of the landslide survivors in Wayanad.

Various political parties staged protests in front of the branch of the bank in Kalpetta on Monday.

Major landslides hit the Mundakkai and Chooralamala regions of Wayanad on July 30, almost decimating both areas and killing over 200 people and injuring many.