TURA: A high level Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) headed by a joint secretary from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, on Friday evening met with the officials of West and South West Garo Hills to assess the extent of the damage caused by the July floods and landslides in the two districts.
The IMCT was headed by KB Singh, joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and included Dependra Kumar, director (PF-S), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure (Finance and Commission Division), Narendra Kumar, director, DJD, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Dinesh Kumar, deputy secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, Narsi Ram Meena, deputy director, Central Electricity Authority, RK Puram, Sewa Bhavan, New Delhi, Abhishek Sinha, superintending engineer, Central Water Commission, River Management Coordination Directorate, Meghana Circle, Silchar Assam and Anirban Acharya, executive engineer, Regional Office, MORT & H, Guwahati, Assam.
During the presentation of the districts, KB Singh informed that the expenditures incurred should include only for the days during the flood and necessary guidelines to be followed while submitting the proposals were also instructed to the district officials during the brief meeting.
During the meeting, the two districts gave a power point presentation showing the detailed report on the recent flood that occurred from July 13 to 14 and the number of villages affected including the number of affected households, damage caused to public property, agricultural crops, number of relief camps and immediate action taken such as supplying of potable drinking water, essential relief materials, supplementary nutrition, food in relief camps including feed, medicine and vitamins for affected animals during the flood.
According to the presentation, in West Garo Hills district three blocks namely, Selsella, Demdema and Tikrikilla C&RD Blocks were affected and gratuitous relief had been given for 14 days in all the three blocks and household goods were issued to the affected families including all affected departments of the district. A total of Rs 78,65,25,022 crore has been submitted to the government for approval.
Meanwhile, the South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner has submitted Rs 1,71,52,709 crore for gratuitous relief and other costs incurred during the recent flood which affected two blocks namely Zikzak and Betasing in South West Garo Hills which he informed happened to be one of the most severe floods experienced in the last 25 years.
In his concluding remark, joint secretary of the Government of Meghalaya, Revenue, Relief and Disaster Management Bhupesh Hajong expressed his gratitude to the central team for making on the spot assessment of the recent flood and damages and requested them to consider the proposals submitted by the state government.
South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Kumar S, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Incharge Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills CN Sangma and other officials of both districts were also present during the meeting.
On Saturday, the central delegation undertook a tour of the flood affected areas in West and South West Garo Hills districts to see for themselves the damage left behind by the floods.
