CM reaches out to TN via twitter

Chennai: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed for assistance to his rain-ravaged state, where 95 people have been killed in various incidents, with the leader tweeting in Tamil to present the grim picture.

Vijayan tweeting in Tamil seemed to be an attempt at reaching out to the people of Tamil Nadu, as hinted by an official in his office.

The official in the Kerala Chief Minister's Office (CMO), on conditions of anonymity, only said Vijayan tweeted in Tamil because Tamil Nadu was a neighbouring state.

In the series of tweets, Vijayan said some people were "spreading false propaganda" that Kerala required no assistance in the wake of the monsoon fury which led to landslides and floods, leaving 95 dead and nearly 2.25 lakh people displaced.

"The Kerala government is doing its best to help the families affected from the rain and (relatives) of those killed," he said, while pointing out that a UN report has pegged the losses from last year's deluge in the state at Rs 31,000 crore.

"Under these circumstances, some persons are spreading false propaganda that Kerala needs no help. This is distressing. People of Kerala indeed need your help, and it doesn't matter if it is small or big. Please contribute what you can," he said in another tweet.

People in the affected parts in Wayanad and Malappuram districts were "yet to come out of the shock," following the damage there, Vijayan said.

Monsoon fury was witnessed in Kerala in the last few days, with the torrential downpour leading to landslides and inundation, throwing normal life out of gear in the southern state.

According to latest updates, a red alert has been sounded for three north Kerala districts of Malappuram, Kannur and Kozhikode, which bore the brunt of the flood fury and landslides last week.