Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended Rs 700 crore as financial assistance to rebuild the flood-ravaged state.

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So far, this is the largest contribution offered by a foreign government.

In fact, the amount is bigger than what the central government has offered the state, i.e Rs 600 crore. However, Vijayan in an interview to The Economic Times said that the government of India was forthcoming and responded positively.

Opening doors in support for Kerala, the centre has also declared the floods in the state as a calamity of “severe nature”, paving the way for national assistance in various forms.

The state government has called a special session of the Assembly on August 30 to discuss the calamity that hit the state, said Vijayan. He also stressed the need for the skilled workforce to help rebuild the state.

Last week, the UAE prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum came out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods in the state.

Earlier, UAE-based Indian origin businessmen had also announced Rs 125 million donation for flood relief operations in Kerala. Kerala-born businessman MA Yusuff Ali, chairman and managing director of Lulu Group and KP Hussain, chairman of Fathima Healthcare Group have announced Rs 9.5 crore each.

First Published:Aug 21, 2018 1:09 PM IST