SHILLONG: A total of 145 number of incidents of natural calamities was reported in the state during the last one year with West Jaintia Hills, Jowai being the most affected with 48 cases followed by West Garo Hills, Tura with 29 cases, the Revenue & Disaster Management Minister, Kyrmen Shylla informed on the last day of the Budget session of the state Assembly.
The total number of incidents of natural calamity across the state during the last one year and till date, district wise are West Jaintia Hills-48, West Garo Hills-29, South West Garo Hills – 13, West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills -12, East Khasi Hills-8, Ri-Bhoi District-6, South West Khasi Hills, North Garo Hills- 5, East Jaintia Hills-4, South Garo Hills- 3.
The Minister further informed the total number of affected families during the period is 1,79,175 and the total number of affected families who have been provided with the assistance from the state disaster Relief fund is 1,54,596.
Asked by Congress MLA HM Shangpliang on the gap of 24, 579 families who did not get relief, Shylla was unable to provide answer.
To a supplementary query on the yardstick for assessing the assistance to families, the Minister scrambled to find an answer and said, “As per norms of SDRF.”
To this, Shangpliang said the Minister “is confused with many slips coming from behind” and suggested the Minster do his homework and provide the answer later.
“These are basic things we need to know,” Shangpliang said.
The intervention the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was a saving grace for Shylla (who also intervened during the reply to Shylla’s first question) who said the assessment was done at the block level, gram sevaks were asked to give ground report on the damages done.
