Shillong: The Meghalaya unit of the All India Malayalee Association has sought the state government's help in sending skilled and unskilled workers to flood-hit Kerala and appealed to people to contribute towards rebuilding the southern state,

The unit's president G. Pradeep Pillai told reporters here on Wednesday that they had written to chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday, requesting the government's sanction to send skilled workers, including electricians, carpenters and construction workers, to Kerala for restoration work. He expressed the association's gratitude to the state government for its move to donate Rs 1 crore to Kerala for relief.

He appealed to the "generous and helpful people" of the state, including businessmen, to be part of the Rebuild Kerala Campaign and contribute whatever they could to the chief minister's disaster relief fund to rebuild Kerala.

He said people can directly send donations to the chief minister's disaster relief fund via the State Bank of India (A/c Number: 67319948232), City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram, South Indian Bank (A/c Number: 0721053000002584) Corporate Branch, Thiruvananthapuram, and Federal Bank (A/c Number: 10210100412397), Thiruvananthapuram/Palayam.

Pillai said the state unit of the association has already mobilised funds for initial relief. Kerala has witnessed devastating floods and landslides in the past fortnight which has killed over 300 and rendered thousands homeless.