Priyanka Gandhi Asks PM Modi To Waive Wayanad Victims' Loans
Priyanka Gandhi urges PM Modi to waive loans for Wayanad landslide victims and convert Kerala's relief loans to grants.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has once again written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to direct the waiver of loans taken by victims of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad. In her letter, she also requested that loans extended to Kerala for disaster relief work be converted into grants to ensure effective rehabilitation.
The Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides, which struck in July 2024, claimed over 200 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes. Priyanka noted that providing loans for rehabilitation six months after the tragedy was “unjust and inhumane,” and stressed that small traders, homestay operators, jeep and autorickshaw drivers had lost their livelihoods and urgently needed support.
After Wayanad did not receive any central assistance related to the disaster, all Kerala MPs had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in December 2024 to press for relief. Priyanka had also approached the National Disaster Management Authority, urging it to instruct banks to waive loans granted to disaster victims under its statutory powers.
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The Congress leader had previously sent letters to the Prime Minister in February and October 2025, highlighting the urgent need for relief. She emphasized that loan waivers could be legally granted under Article 73 of the Constitution, which empowers the Union government to take executive action for public welfare.
Despite the central government taking a stand in court that loans could not be waived following amendments to the National Disaster Management Act, the Kerala High Court observed there was no legal obstacle for granting loan waivers. Priyanka urged the government to act immediately to prevent further hardship for the victims and their families.
She concluded by calling on authorities to prioritize humanitarian relief over bureaucratic procedures, stressing that converting loans into grants would help rebuild lives and restore livelihoods in Wayanad, ensuring the state recovers from one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
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