Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has approved Rs 10 crore as immediate relief for landslide-hit Arunachal Pradesh.
The sanction came when Arunachal Pradesh PWD Minister Gojen Gadi accompanied by CE (Highway) Hage Apa and other departmental officials called on Rijiju in New Delhi yesterday and apprised him of massive damages caused by landslides triggered by torrential rain and submitted a memorandum enlisting damages worth Rs 10.202 crore.
The sanction gives a different message amidst claims and counter-claims by state BJP and Congress on less flow of funds and misutilisation.
The team led by Rijiju was to call on Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who asked Rijiju over telephone to approve Rs 10 crore on his behalf as he was about to go on tour, Gadi informed over phone from New Delhi today.
Rijiju is the nodal minister of MoRTH (Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways) for north east.
Gadkari also instructed to resume maintenance works immediately and asked to submit a letter to the ministry accordingly, Gadi said quoting Rijiju.
However, a central team headed by MoRTH's chief engineer (NE region in charge) would visit on June 14 to inspect the damages caused and ongoing maintenance, Gadi said.
Pointing out that the compensation estimate and DPR for Itanagar-Banderdewa four-lane (NH-415) has been submitted to MoRTH, Gadi requested for its early sanction.
Rijiju assured to take up the matter with Gadkari personally when Gadi informed that the compensation estimate was reduced from Rs 354 crore to Rs 284 crore and requested for early sanction.
