Kerala govt to hold high-level discussions with centre over UAE's Rs 700 crore aid, says report

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vjayan will have high-level discussions with the centre with regards to the Rs 700 crore aid offered by UAE to the state for the flood relief work, reported CNN-News18.

Reports on Wednesday said that the Narendra Modi government is likely to "politely refuse" any financial aid from foreign governments, citing the new policy set in 2014 as the reason. Under the new policy, the centre disapproves of accepting financial aid from other countries.

However, Kerala chief minister said that the National Disaster Management policy 2016 provides provision to accept voluntary offers from foreign nations in the wake of disasters, added the CNN-News18 report.

The centre has so far provided financial assistance worth Rs 600 crore. Besides, many other state governments, corporate firms and individuals have also contributed to the relief fund.

Kerala faced its worst floods in a century, with nearly 400 people being killed since May. The state has suffered a loss of Rs. 19,512 crore due to the deluge and nearly 8,00,000 people have lost their homes.