Kerala CM Intervenes to Revoke SDMA's Controversial Note

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the withdrawal of a controversial note by the State Disaster Management Authority that restricted science and technology institutions from sharing their opinions on the recent deadly landslides in Wayanad. The scientific community had strongly protested against the note.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday instructed Chief Secretary V Venu to retract a controversial directive by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The note had barred science and technology institutions in the state from sharing their opinions and study reports with the media regarding the recent deadly landslides in Wayanad.

In a late-night statement, Vijayan clarified that the news about SDMA directing scientific institutions and scientists not to visit the disaster-affected Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad and refrain from expressing their opinions was misleading.

Vijayan asserted that the state government holds no such policy and directed the chief secretary to promptly intervene and withdraw the misleading communication. Initially, the scientific community had vehemently protested against the directive issued by State Relief Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Tinku Biswal. The controversial note had required scientific institutions to obtain prior permission from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority to undertake any studies in the disaster-hit area.