By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla placed a demand for grants of Rs 15.4 lakh for disaster management for the financial year 2018-2019.
Speaking at the Assembly on Wednesday, Shylla proposed the amount for funding the natural calamities victims.
However, Congress MLA from Mawlai PT Sawkmie called upon the need to speed up the benefits to natural calamities victims adding that the affected victims of his constituency would often get their benefits after several months.
Opposing the cut motion, South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai expressed concern that victims of natural calamities are yet to get benefits and suggested that the government should make provisions for Rs 15 crore instead of Rs 15 lakh.
MLA HM Shangpliang said villages in bordering areas of Bangladesh also face the same problem where the benefits arrive late. He suggested that in future, some amount should be kept ready with the BDOs and other officers.
In reply, Shylla said that the Department in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority is implementing the project on ‘Strengthening of State Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authority’ in the state with effect from March.
“The scheme aims at improving the effectiveness of State Disaster Management Authority and selected District Disaster Management Authority by providing finances for dedicated human resources to be hired by State Disaster Management Authority/District Disaster Management Authority,” he said.
He further added that the HR support hired would work to achieve deliverables such as Disaster Management Policy framing Disaster Management plan preparation, Disaster Management Guidelines preparation. Shylla informed that a MoU was signed between the National Disaster Management Authority and the state government which was represented by the then Executive Director. The authorities in 2008, had carried out a number of activities on Disaster management, which included training on mass casualties and hospital management during disaster (including fire safety) held on February 20 till 22, 2017.
The Minister stated that there was a special training on search and rescue for Home Guards & Civil Defence/Police Personnel, community outreach programme, Secretariat mock drill, training on Early Warning System (EWS), Seismic safety assessment of Building in Rapid Visual Screening and Retrofitting, training on differently abled people on Disaster Management.