Nearly Rs One crore financial assistance was sanctioned to the needy and more than 10,000 petitions were redressed during Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's day-long Mass contact programme held in the district today amid tight security.
The Malappuram-leg of the high-voltage Jana Samarka Paripadi (JSP) is the third one of the second phase of the programme after its successful completion at Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts.
A total of Rs 92 lakh was distributed to various petitioners till evening which included Rs 82 lakh from CM's distress relief fund and Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned to disabled persons.
Security was tight in and around the venue of the programme and Chandy was given 'Z' security cover in the aftermath of the stone pelting, in which he was injured, during a protest by opposition CPI-M led LDF activists in Kannur on October 27.
Nearly 2000 policemen, including armed personnel attached to the Thunderbolt team, set up to deal with Maoist threat, were deployed in and around SSP Ground,venue of the programme.
Inaugurating the programme, Chandy refuted LDF criticism it was meant only to distribute certain financial aid from the CM's Relief Fund and said the objective was to extend to the people all their rightful needs without delays of red tape.
"Due to certain restrictions in law, many things cannot be implemented.The Jana Samparka Paripadi will help bring such matters to the attention of officials and these can be resolved," he said, defending the programme.
Chandy said as many as 45 government orders were issued in the first phase of JSP after UDF came to power in May 2011, to make changes in rules as per the petitions and complaints received at the programme.
Among the persons who received relief included one Shahid Muneer, with a rare disease of water getting clotted in his head who got Rs One lakh for treatment.
Police stopped a black flag protest march by LDF pressing for Chandy's resignation over the solar panel scam.
LDF, which has declared boycott of the JSP, has been staging protests wherever Chandy visits as part of its campaign demanding his resignation over the solar scam, alleging that the fraudsters had the support of the Chief Minister and his office.
