•One more body found in Garo Hills •Death toll mounts to 56
SHILLONG: The State Government has started preparing the memorandum on the damages due to flood and landslides to be submitted to the Centre likely next week even as death toll in the recent flash floods and landslides has risen to 56 with the recovery of a body from Bongpara village in South West Garo Hills district.
A review meeting was convened by the Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri on Thursday with the officials of the concerned departments to discuss the need to prepare the memorandum at the earliest so that funds can be made available to the flood affected districts.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to Garo Hills on Wednesday to assess the flood situation had asked the State Government submit a memorandum since there was only a power-point presentation during the meeting.
While Assam was assured Rs 286 crore as the Central assistance, Meghalaya is yet to get any financial assistance from the Centre in the absence any detailed memorandum.
The Home Minister, who was accompanied by Minister of State In-charge Sports and Youth Affairs, Sarbananda Sonowal besides Joint Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs (North East), Shambu Singh, assured that both Assam and Meghalaya will get financial assistance from the Centre to undertake rebuilding exercise.
The Commissioner of Divisions for Garo Hills PW Ingty said on Thursday that it will take many months to complete the restoration work. Many roads have been opened for traffic.
Besides the construction of washed away roads and bridges, the crucial task on the part of the Government will be to restore power in the rural areas of Garo Hills which were affected by flood.
Recently, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that the flood and landslides have taken Garo Hills back to 10 years indicating that restoration of the areas affected by the natural calamity will be a gigantic task for the state.
Seven persons are still reported missing.
Light rain is reported at few places in the State on Thursday. Relief camps are still open in some areas and restoration work of roads in the affected areas is going on.
Power supply has not yet been restored in certain interior areas of the affected districts of Garo Hills.
There is no report of any shortage of medicines or of outbreak of epidemic.
