Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, strongly urging the reinstatement of Section 13 of the Disaster Management Act, which earlier allowed loan waivers for disaster-affected citizens. The appeal comes after the Union government told the Kerala High Court that a March 2025 amendment to the Act no longer permits such financial relief.
The Centre’s stance was revealed in a case involving victims of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad district, where several families devastated by the disaster had sought waivers on outstanding loans. The government argued that the current law, post-amendment, offers no such provision.
In his letter, CM Vijayan criticized the amendment as “unjust” and warned that stripping away loan waiver provisions harms the most vulnerable. “Disaster-hit populations, especially in ecologically fragile zones like Wayanad, need financial protection to rebuild their lives,” he wrote.
The Chief Minister’s plea aligns with growing public outrage and demands from social activists, local leaders, and affected families, who say loan obligations only deepen the trauma and delay recovery.
With attention now turning to the controversial amendment, pressure is mounting on the Union government to revisit changes that, according to critics, weaken vital lifelines once guaranteed under the Disaster Management Act.
