Picture Credit : The Hindu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his short visit to Assam reviewed the flood situation in north-eastern states at a series of high-level meetings in Guwahati and announced assistance of over Rs. 2000 crore.
The Prime Minister announced the package for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and flood mitigation measures in the flood-affected north-eastern states.
According to ANI news report, Through the course of the day, the Prime Minister held separate, detailed review meetings on the situation in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
The Chief Ministers of the respective states, and senior officials were present at the meetings. A memorandum was received from the Chief Minister of Mizoram, who could not make it to the meeting in person.
Over Rs. 1200 crore will be given by the Union Government for the infrastructure sector alone. The funds will be utilized for repair, maintenance, and strengthening of roads, highways, bridges, and other damaged infrastructure.
In the current financial year, the Union Government has approved Rs. 600 crore as central share of SDRF. Out of this, Rs. 345 crore has already been released, and the remaining will be released immediately, to assist the states in relief and rehabilitation work.
The Union Government will also provide Rs. 100 crore for carrying out a study to synergize efforts towards finding time-bound long term solutions to recurrent floods in the region.
The north-eastern region, with 8% of India’s land area, contains one-third of the country’s water resources. The Union Government will constitute a High Level Committee, with representation from Ministries of the Government of India and the States, for proper management of the region’s vast water resources.
An ex-gratia assistance of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs. 50,000 to each of those seriously injured due to the floods, has been sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
