Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday visited the flood-hit areas of Assam and Meghalaya and assured the two states of all possible help to deal with the crisis and ensure relief and rehabilitation.
The minister said the central government has already released an amount of Rs.386 crore for Assam and added that an additional amount of Rs.286 crore has also been sanctioned for the state to deal with the situation.
Similarly, an amount of Rs.123 crore has be released for Meghalaya, he said. An additional fund of Rs.8 crore has also been sanctioned for the worst affected Garo Hills region of the state, Singh told reporters in Guwahati.
"For Arunachal Pradesh, the central government had already released Rs.70 crore ... However, an additional amount of Rs.20 crore has also been sanctioned for the state," he said.
The minister said 40 people have died due to floods in Assam last month.
"This is only initial sanction. The central government would give all the support to the state governments to deal with the disaster. However, I have asked the chief minister (Tarun Gogoi) to submit a memorandum detailing the damages caused by floods.
"After receiving the memorandums, we would be able to send the inter-ministerial teams to assess the total damage caused by the floods and simultaneously the amount could be released," Singh said.
"I have sent union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal to visit the flood affected states immediately after I was informed about the floods," said Singh.
Besides, Singh urged all the political parties to come forward and join hands in these kinds of a situation and said that no one should try to take political benefit in such situation.
In Shillong, Singh said: "I have asked the chief minister (Mukul Sangma) to submit a memorandum to the centre, after which an inter-ministerial team will visit to assess the damages. I have assured to provide maximum assistance to the Meghalaya government."
"I have also asked the state government to utilize available state disaster response fund Rs.124 crore. The next installment will be released immediately, we have written to the finance ministry, which is ready for sanction," he told journalists.
The recent flash floods and landslides in Garo Hills in western part of Meghalaya which have claimed over 55 lives have also severely affected more than two lakh people and at least 1,172 villages were submerged under the flood waters.
Another 56 persons have died in Arunachal Pradesh due to floods last month.
Meanwhile, the state Civil Defence and Home Guards are still searching the eight missing people following the flood fury.
"I have seen the quantum of damages in Meghalaya and Assam. I assure that both the state will get full cooperation from the centre to undertake rebuilding exercise," said Singh, who undertook an aerial survey of Garo Hills region.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that the government was already on the process of preparing the memorandum seeking which will highlight the damages and rebuilding exercise.
"From the extent of damages, the home minister has understood what kind of support the state government would require in addressing the issues of the affected families," Sangma told IANS over the phone.
Singh, who was accompanied by Sonowal, Joint Secretary Home Affairs (North East), Shambu Singh and Border Management Department Secretary Snehlata Kumar, also held a review meeting at a Border Security Force camp in Tura with the chief minister, former Lok Saba Speaker P.A. Sangma and senior officials.
The chief minister said Singh underscored the need to improve need of telecommunication connectivity and raising of a dedicated battalion of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to tackle such natural calamities.
"North East is an earthquake prone region. The region needs a dedicated connectivity to address communication matters in times of crisis, when connectivity in the state fails. We request you to intervene in this regard," Mukul Sangma said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Revenue and Disaster Management Roytre Christopher Laloo said that the state government will make an official appeal to non-governmental organisations such as Indian Red Cross to assist the affected people.
