By Express News Service

KASARGOD: Nearly half of the cheques and demand drafts (DD), in terms of value, sent to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) following the mid-August floods were dishonoured by the banks, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Till November 30, the CMDRF received cheques and demand draft worth Rs 7.46 crore, he said, in a reply to an unstarred question raised by Kasargod legislative member N A Nellikkunnu in the Assembly. Of that, 395 cheques and demand draft worth Rs 3.26 crore were dishonoured at the banks, the chief minister said.

Nellikkunnu said many persons and organisations issued cheques to get the 15-minute fame during the floods. “The high number of dishonoured cheques proves that there were many out there vying for publicity during the floods,” he said.

On the bright side, the CMDRF received a total of Rs 2,797.67 crore till November 30, 2018; most of the money came in cash.

Of this, Rs 260.45 crore came via online transfer and Rs 2,537.22 crore was in cash, cheque and DD. On the expenditure, he said Rs 457.23 crore was spent as contingency aid during the floods.