THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday wrote to union home minister Rajnath Singh , expressing ‘sincere gratitude on behalf of the entire state’ for his timely visit to the flood-hit region, which Vijayan described as 'a great solace’.

“Even before your visit, on hearing the calamity that had befallen Kerala, the hon’ble Prime Minister rang me up and assured all possible assistance. A few weeks back, following severe rainfall and floods in central Kerala, the hon’ble minister of state for home affairs visited the affected places. We are grateful for the special care and consideration being given by the Union government, during these difficult times,” the CM said in his letter.

“We are also grateful to the personnel of the defence forces and National Disaster Response Force for their speedy response in assisting the state and district administration in the rescue and relief operations. They are rendering invaluable service. You have seen for yourself the extensive damage to agriculture, houses, commercial establishments, roads and bridges, due to the unprecedented rains and riverine and coastal floods. As you are aware, we have assessed the preliminary loss at Rs. 8316 Crore. We appreciate your kind gesture in sanctioning Rs. 100 Crore for immediate relief”, said Vijayan who concluded the letter by expressing hope for Singh’s continued support and assistance after the final assessment of the damages is completed for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure .

