From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Assam Minister for Finance and PWD Himanta Biswa Sarma during a video conference with all deputy commissioners on the various issues related to the current wave of floods directed them to reach out and provide assistance to all the affected people on a war footing. The minister assured that the state government would provide all necessary financial assistance.
Some of the key decisions of the meeting are as follows:
q DCs will conduct at least five medical and veterinary camps per constituency and approved cost of such camps are: Rs one lakh per medical camp and Rs.50000 per veterinary camp.
q Relief as per the Relief Manual should not just be given to those citizens in the Relief camps and in the ‘core’ affected areas but also to those residing in the ‘periphery’ as well (marooned and not able to reach ‘relief camps’ etc.)
q DCs are to ensure that the consolidated list is prepared and published each day consisting details about the number of revenue villages affected, the people marooned, people in relief camps, animals lost etc.
q DCs are to ensure adequate food stock in the concerned District and Sub Divisional H.Q’s.
q DCs are to ensure the safety of infants and children should be the top priority. Provide baby food to the infants staying in Rrelief camps established by the authority and also to those residing in the marooned habitations.
q DCs are to hire boat /vessels for rescue of the flood affected people.
q DCs are to provide tarpaulin and necessary items to those affected by the floods.
q DCs are to ensure immediate transfer of Rs 3,800 each to the bank account of the head of the families who are staying in the designated relief camps and also those marooned and living in camp-like situation.
q DCs are to ensure distribution of cattle feed to the domestic animals in the flood affected areas as per SDRF guidelines
q DCs are to ensure that the claims for rehabilitation grants for partially/fully damaged houses should be sent within one month of the floods so as to ensure people are rehabilitated at the earliest
q DCs are to ensure distribution of free text books to the affected school children so that their studies are not affected.
q DCs are to provide medicines and conduct regular check-ups 24×7 at all the relief camps and take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent any outbreak of contagious diseases and to cover post flood period as well.
q DCs are to ensure provide immediate assistance in the form of clean drinking water & supply of halogen tablets in all the relief centres and ensure that the source of drinking water is not contaminated.
q Additional funds to meet the requirements of providing certified Kharif seeds to the 2.43 lakh affected farmers covering 67,500 hectares to be moved immediately.
q Ensure immediate distribution of the seedlings to the affected farmers once the flood wave recedes
q Detailed infrastructural damage reports (schools, hospitals, roads, embankments, government buildings, etc.) will also be submitted by the DCs to the R&DM.
q Post the receding of the floods, the departments will prepare detailed reports about the permanent damages in the infrastructure send the same to the R&DM Department
q It was noted that SDRF funds would be used for immediate repair of infrastructure which may not cover the entire cost of such repair of permanent nature. Given this, the total estimated amount may be bifurcated into two sub-sets: items covered under SDRF as per norms and those which will not be covered, will be provided by the state government.
q DCs are to ensure immediate repair of the embankments as per the norms to ensure no further loss of human life occurs