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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (file photo)
The chief secretary of the Kerala government soon issued a statement clarifying that the advisory was not issued “with the intention of restricting the scientific community in the state from conducting research and providing insights.”
In view of the severe landslide situation in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday directed Chief Secretary V Venu to withdraw a controversial notification issued by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) which restricted the state’s science and technology agencies from sharing their opinions and studies with the media.
The Chief Minister in a statement late on Thursday said the news that the Sri Lanka Earthquake Management Authority had directed research institutions and scientists not to go to the disaster-hit Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad and not to express their opinions was misleading.
“The state government has no such policy,” Vijayan said.
“Instructions have been given to the chief secretary to immediately intervene and withdraw the communication conveying such information,” he added.
The Chief Secretary of the Kerala government also quickly issued a statement to clarify that the issuance of this advisory opinion “is not intended to prevent the state’s scientific community from conducting research and providing insights.”
He further stated that the advisory was issued to “prevent personnel from national scientific institutions from making any statements and opinions that could be misinterpreted or misquoted, thereby causing public panic and confusion, especially during this sensitive period.”
Earlier, the scientific community in the state had strongly protested against the directive of state disaster relief commissioner and principal secretary of the disaster management department Tinku Biswal, which directed all scientific and technological institutions in the state not to conduct any field visit to Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad, where a devastating landslide killed several people on Tuesday.
The note states that the scientific community should refrain from sharing their views and research reports with the media.
It also said that any research in the disaster-affected areas must be done with prior permission from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
Meanwhile, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya criticised the now-withdrawn notification on his official X account and termed it an “atrocious” order.
Emergency and censorship come naturally to the Communist Party. The Kerala government issued a brutal order prohibiting scientific and technological institutions from conducting field visits and sharing detailed information and reports on the disaster-stricken areas.
The state government is concerned about such activities… pic.twitter.com/MhnZXpca03
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 1, 2024
A massive landslide struck Wayanad district of Kerala on Tuesday morning, killing at least 291 people and injuring many more.
(with PTI input)
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