Wrong-doers to be punished: Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Those who breached the Bethukandi dyke would be dealt with firmly, warned Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika. On Wednesday Hazarika made an on-spot inspection of Bethukandi where repairing of the dyke was going on in full swing after last month's devastating flood. The dyke was damaged by some alleged miscreants to drain out water of Mohisabeel, a huge wetland in May. The excessive shower in mid June saw overflowing of Barak River and Silchar town was inundated through the breached dyke. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had already ordered CID investigation. District police had till now arrested five persons in connection with the dyke breach. However allegations were raised against the Water Resources department officials as they failed to act in time.

Hazarika on Wednesday said, "Till now no such proof was found that the officials were involved in Bethukandi incident and if anybody from the department was found involved in the incident then the ministry would place him under suspension." Hazarika further added that dykes were the properties of Water Resources department and if the people of Bethukandi area had any waterlogging problem they could have approach the authority in a proper way, but damaging a government property would not be tolerated, he stated.

Hazarika said, after this year's flood in the State all the damaged dykes were repaired on war footing. Till now 39 dykes had been fixed after the flood, he claimed. However he admitted that this was a temporary solution as the government prioritized the protection of people residing in the flood-affected areas.

Earlier, Congress alleged that being Water Resources Minister he was invisible during the entire flood episode. Hazarika said, "Chief Minister himself visited Silchar thrice in less than two weeks. As a Minister he was assigned to monitor the other flood-affected areas. "Congress had no right to point fingers as in during their regime, the Congress leaders used to stage dharna in Delhi during flood," Hazarika further said. Pijush Hazarika who is on a three days visit to Barak valley arrived here on Wednesday.

He inspected the dysfunctional Baleshwar & Fushkain sluice gates in Cachar near Indo-Bangla border in the afternoon.

Minister Hazarika directed the officials of Water Resources Department to repair the gates and make them operational as their dysfunctionality has caused devastating floods in the nearby areas.

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