Kerala to seek Rs 117 crore special package on Kollam firework mishap

State government says the loss due to the accident estimated at Rs 92 crore

The Kerala state government is planning to ask the union government for a special package of about Rs 117 crore in connection with the firework explosion at the Puttingal temple in Kollam.

The explosionresulted in loss of Rs 92 crore, as per a report being submitted by the State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to the Prime Minister, according to media reports. 

While existing rules allows the centre to provide upto Rs 48 crore as disaster relief, the State government plans to ask Rs 117 crore including the ex-gratia of Rs 10 crore announced by the state government and around Rs 15 crore for rehabilitation works.

Apart from payment to hospitals for treatment of the injured, money spent on supply of drinking water, and cleaning up the debris, the state government says that it has a liability of around Rs 15 crore as around 100 houses were destroyed fully or partially.

The accident has resulted in death of 107 people while another 400 are still being treated in hospitals, making it the second largest disaster after the 2004 tsunami, the report quotes Disaster Management Commissioner Vishwas Mehta as saying.

The state has also asked the Centre to declare the incident as a national calamity.