Wayanad district sees hope of development in Rahul Gandhi

Locals have always been deprived of basic infrastructure like roads, potable water, a medical college and even a proper hospital

Kerala's Wayanad district, located along the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, has been neglected for long - thanks to the current CPI(M)-led state government. With Congress President Rahul Gandhi set to contest from the constituency, all hopes remain pinned on whether he will turn around the district and make it much more livable for the people, if voted to power. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala State Committee, is supporting the Congress in this constituency.

This forested region of Kerala has always been deprived of basic infrastructure and medical facilities. Even the nearest hospital is in Calicut, 120 kms from Wayanad - a distance that takes the locals three hours to cover.

P P A Kareem, IUML president for Wayanad said, "The locals have always been deprived of basic infrastructure like roads, potable water, a medical college and even a proper hospital. Our farmers have been reeling under debts, with no support from either the state government or the Centre."

Kareem added, "In case of a medical emergency people have to travel more than 100 kms to Calicut through the narrow Ghat road, which becomes extremely dangerous during the monsoon." According to sources, former chief minister of Kerala Oomen Chandy (2011-2016) had taken interest in setting up a medical college and hospital in Wayanad. A 50-acre land was allotted for it and '40 crore was sanctioned for the project, but after the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government came to power, nothing got done.

The farmers of Wayanad have incurred major loses over the years due to the free trade agreement based on the ASEAN treaty. Prices of these exports have drastically come down. A farmer, who would otherwise earn around '700 to '800 per kg of produce, gets approximately a little over Rs 250 now, and bulk of it is only for local markets. A Supreme Court order had put a ban on travelling in vehicles through the forested roads of the district to reach TN or Karnataka after sunset, as wild animals got killed due to it. Rahul in his speech on Wednesday had assured that the ban would be lifted if he came to power.

According to a villager, Wayanad had to pay dearly during the 2018 floods that lashed the district on August 8 and 9. Similar flooding affected the area a couple of days later again the same month. The natural calamity had claimed 11 lives and destroyed property worth crores of rupees.

Rashid Gazli, who was Rahul's translator on April 17, said, "Wayanad can be one of the best tourist spots of the state. However, the local administration has never bothered to explore this aspect and encourage tourism in the area, which would help in generating revenue. Apart from having a number of scenic locations, Wayanad also has a rich heritage."

Speaking on how for the first time a national leader was contesting from the district, Kareem said, "As Rahul mentioned in his speech that he is the son of Wayanad, we are confident that he will win and his roots will get connected to this place. This will help Wayanad get its rightful and much-deserved growth and prosperity."

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