GUWAHATI: Assam’s Minister for Finance and PWD, Dr. 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:
· Deputy Commissioners 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.
· 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.)
· Deputy Commissioners 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.
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure adequate food stock in the concerned District and Sub Divisional H.Q’s.
· Deputy Commissioners 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.
· Deputy Commissioners are to hire boat /vessels for rescue of the flood affected people.
· Deputy Commissioners are to provide tarpaulin and necessary items to those affected by the floods.
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure immediate transfer of Rs.3800/ (Rs.2000/= for purchase of Utensils and Rs.1800 for purchase of cloths) 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.
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure distribution of cattle feed to the domestic animals in the flood affected areas as per SDRF guidelines
· Deputy Commissioners 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
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure distribution of free text books to the affected school children so that their studies are not affected.
· Deputy Commissioners 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.
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure provide immediate assistance in the form of clean drinking water & supply of halogen tablets in all the relief centers and ensure that the source of drinking water is not contaminated
· PS, PHE raised that the amounts earmarked under the SDRF for the repair of PWSS may not be sufficient in certain cases as the cost of the repairs may be higher. It was decided that additional amounts for the immediate repair of such damaged PWSS will be funded out of the State resources.
· Such additional financial requirement to meet the requirements of flood should be immediately processed through the R&DM Department.
· Additional funds to meet the requirements of providing certified Kharif seeds to the 2.43 L affected farmers covering 67500 hectares to be moved immediately.
· Ensure immediate distribution of the seedlings to the affected farmers once the flood wave recedes
· Detailed infrastructural damage reports (Schools, Hospitals, Roads, Embankments, Government Buildings etc.) will also be submitted by the Deputy Commissioners to the R&DM.
· 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
· 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.
· Deputy Commissioners are to ensure immediate repair of the embankments as per the norms to ensure no further loss of human life occurs
· F&CS Department was directed to monitor the price escalation of the essential commodities closely and ensure that there is no hoarding of essential commodities leading to artificial price escalation