Guwahati, Sep 15 : The Centre today announced a Rs 500-crore relief and rehabilitation package for flood-hit Assam after an aerial survey of Majuli in Jorhat and Kamalpur, Rangia and Phutimari in Kamrup district.
After the survey, Union home minister Shivraj Patil went into a huddle with chief minister Tarun Gogoi, revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman and senior state government officials at the airport.
Barman had accompanied the home minister on the trip.
After the meeting, Patil said from the presentation given by the Assam government, he gathered that breach of embankments was the primary cause of floods in most parts of the state.
There are two ways to tackle the problem, he said.
One would be the immediate measures, and other, a long-term plan to tame the rivers flowing from the Himalayas.
The Rs 500-crore package, of course, was for “immediate” relief and rehabilitation measures.
Of the total grant, Rs 300 crore would be released immediately.
After the first instalment was utilised, the remaining Rs 200 crore would be released, he said.
If required, more funds would be provided.
He said apart from relief and rehabilitation measures, the funds should also be utilised to repair the breaches in the embankments.
“There will be no dearth of funds for tackling the problem. One thing should be clear. Sometimes your state will get more funds than another state, sometimes it will get equal funds and sometimes it will get less. The funds are provided in proportion to the requirement of the state. If more funds are required, it will be made available to the state,” he said.
On the long-term measures, Patil stressed the need for a joint effort by the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments to tame the rivers flowing from that state.
He said according to an initial estimate, the plan would require about Rs 83,000 crore over 15 to 20 years.
Assuring that funds would not be a constraint, Patil said if needed, international funding agencies, too, would be tapped.
He also asked the state government to manage from its own resources smaller relief measures like providing ex gratia to the family of the 35 people who died in the floods.
After the survey, Union home minister Shivraj Patil went into a huddle with chief minister Tarun Gogoi, revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman and senior state government officials at the airport.
Barman had accompanied the home minister on the trip.
After the meeting, Patil said from the presentation given by the Assam government, he gathered that breach of embankments was the primary cause of floods in most parts of the state.
There are two ways to tackle the problem, he said.
One would be the immediate measures, and other, a long-term plan to tame the rivers flowing from the Himalayas.
The Rs 500-crore package, of course, was for “immediate” relief and rehabilitation measures.
Of the total grant, Rs 300 crore would be released immediately.
After the first instalment was utilised, the remaining Rs 200 crore would be released, he said.
If required, more funds would be provided.
He said apart from relief and rehabilitation measures, the funds should also be utilised to repair the breaches in the embankments.
“There will be no dearth of funds for tackling the problem. One thing should be clear. Sometimes your state will get more funds than another state, sometimes it will get equal funds and sometimes it will get less. The funds are provided in proportion to the requirement of the state. If more funds are required, it will be made available to the state,” he said.
On the long-term measures, Patil stressed the need for a joint effort by the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments to tame the rivers flowing from that state.
He said according to an initial estimate, the plan would require about Rs 83,000 crore over 15 to 20 years.
Assuring that funds would not be a constraint, Patil said if needed, international funding agencies, too, would be tapped.
He also asked the state government to manage from its own resources smaller relief measures like providing ex gratia to the family of the 35 people who died in the floods.
