CM announces Rs 100 cr package for Barak Valley

Special Correspondent

Silchar, June 24: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during his two day hurricane tour of Barak Valley reviewed the flood situation with high level officials of the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi besides visiting the relief camps. He also visited the badly affected embankments which came under the spate of high floods. Before concluding his tour on Sunday, he went to see the camp inmates at Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School and the embankment at Shibbari, the site of heavy erosion. He sat with the high officials of the district administration as well as the local MLAs in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar in order to get himself acquainted with the post flood situation.

After emerging from the review meeting, the Chief Minister interacted with the waiting journalists. He said his government has decided to sanction Rs.100 crore for the flood victims who have lost their agriculture and cattle as well as livestock. The fund would also be allotted for modernization of all sluice gates as well as for repair and strengthening of embankment system across Barak Valley. Prior to that, he had also held review meeting at Karimganj where he directed the high officials to take steps for covering the farmers under ‘crop insurance’. He also said efforts should be made for dredging the river Longai and to explore the possibility of a power project. His advice to the veterinary department is to extend all possible treatment to the cattle.

Chief Minister also laid stress on the formation of medical teams for providing necessary medical care and treatment to the flood affected people. In the district of Karimganj, in all 316 villages were affected in the Karimganj sadar, Nilambazaar, Patharkandi and Badarpur. A total population of 2,36,914 was hit by the deluge. 159.72 lakh of fish ponds and fish seed farms were damaged, leading to a loss of Rs.159.72 lakh. Chief Minister was accompanied by Keshab Mahanta, water resource minister and Anwar Uddin Choudhury, Barak Valley Division Commissioner.

The Chief Minister took time of his busy schedule and did not forget to visit the house of Dr K P Chakraborty, an octogenarian doctor attached with Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre as a part of the BJP’s ‘mass contact programme’. Dr K P Chakraborty is the Chairman of Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. He related to the Chief Minister his one time association with Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as his polling agent in the first general elections of the country in Kolkata. Dr Chakraborty after his retirement as Chief Medical Officer of Karimganj Civil Hospital joined Cancer Hospital as an honorary physician and continues to render his valuable services to the patients of dreaded disease.

HAILAKANDI Correspondent adds: The Chief Minister assured that required funds would be released for revamping the old piped water supply scheme in Hailakandi town. Sonowal directed the Executive Engineer, PHE, Hailakandi division, AN Choudhury to engage a consultancy firm for the purpose and to submit detailed project report at the earliest.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan, while giving a power point presentation, said there was an abrupt rise in water level of Dholeswari River on June 13 following flash floods in Mizoram. “Following heavy rainfall of 242 mm in Mizoram as per India Meteorological Department report, the water level of Dholeswari River drastically rose 10 metres above danger level and Katakhal river above eight meters. Such a flood situation occurred way back in 1989,” he said.

Giving an overview of the extent of flood damages, Deputy Commissioner Khan said that the administration had been carrying out relief and rehabilitation in full swing. Dispur has already released Rs.50 lakh of the sanctioned Rs.1.70 crore for relief operation.

Hailakandi is the worst affected district with 3.24 lakh people hit. Around 2,484.65 hectares of croplands have been destroyed affecting 41,747 firm families. Two persons lost their lives, while over 8,000 marooned people evacuated by SDRF and NDRF personnel. Deputy Commissioner Khan handed over a cheque for Rs.1.75 lakh contributed by the officials and employees of the DC’s establishment towards the Chief Minister’s relief fund for the flood-affected people.