Don’t visit Wayanad rehab houses as tourists: Salam

Kozhikode: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state general secretary PMA Salam on Saturday said party workers and the public are prohibited from entering the houses handed over to beneficiaries as part of the party's Mundakkai-Chooralmala rehabilitation project.In the first phase, 51 houses in the project area were handed over to beneficiaries, said Salam in a statement. "Construction of the remaining houses out of 105 is ongoing. Families have already started residing in all 51 houses. Consequently, these houses are now owned by the beneficiaries and no one except close relatives will be allowed to enter," he clarified.He said that the announcement was being made since many people were reaching the project area as if on a tour and entering the houses, causing inconvenience to the beneficiaries.Salam added that each house is a private property of the beneficiary. "Muslim League handed over the houses to the disaster-affected with the best facilities. Reminding them of the landslide incidents while they are trying to move on with their lives creates psychological distress for many. The influx of visitors is affecting their peaceful lives," he said.The statement added that party state president Panakkad Sadikali Shihab Thangal had clearly instructed Muslim League workers that their responsibility ended with the handing over of the houses, and no one should step on that land with any sense of entitlement. "With this understanding, visits to the project area should be avoided, and a strict ban on entry will be enforced from Sunday, Salam stated.