Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has announced a relief package of over Rs. 2000 cr. for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and flood mitigation measures in the flood-affected North-Eastern state yesterday. The announcement came at the end of a series of high level meetings, where the Prime Minister reviewed the flood situation, and relief measures in the States, during his visit to Assam.
The Prime Minister held separate, detailed review meetings on the situation in the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. The Chief Ministers of the respective States, and senior officials were also attending the meetings. A memorandum was received from the Chief Minister of Mizoram, who could not make it to the meeting in person.
Over Rs. 1200 cr. will be given by the Union Government for the infrastructure sector only. The funds will be utilized for repair, maintenance, and strengthening of roads, highways, bridges, and other damaged infrastructure to retain the connectivity of the area. And Rs.400 cr. will be provided for improving the water holding capacity of the Brahmaputra River, which will assist in flood control.
In the current financial year, the Union Government has approved Rs. 600 cr. as central share of SDRF, out of which, Rs. 345 cr. has already been released, and the remaining will be released immediately, to assist the States in relief and rehabilitation work.
The Union Government will also provide Rs. 100 cr. for carrying out a study to synergize efforts towards finding time-bound long term solutions to recurrent floods in the region.
The Union Government will constitute a High Level Committee, with representation from Ministries of the Government of India and the States, for proper management of the region’s vast water resources, as the North-Eastern region, with eight percent of India’s land area, contains one-third of the country’s water resources.
