Arunachal CM asks Modi Rs.12,000 crore as flood relief

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday sought a financial assistance of Rs.12,000 crore from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reconstruction work following recent natural calamities in the state.

Pul met Modi in New Delhi and informed him that the floods in the state triggered by unprecedented and torrential pre-monsoon rains were of unexpected proportions.

Pul also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and asked him to set up a Counter Insurgency Operations School for the northeastern region in Arunachal Pradesh.

Modi assured him of all central support in reconstruction activities and to mitigate the flood-induced disasters.

"As immediate relief, the central governments released Rs.66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)," Pul said later.

Pul informed Modi that several districts, including Tawang bordering China, have been severely affected, and 21 people lost their lives.

He said basic infrastructure, which had been created with great difficulty in harsh terrain and in far-flung areas, was completely devastated.

"Landslides, fissures and massive landslips triggered by the high intensity rains have resulted in even basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, telecom etc. in the state to be non-functional," he said.

Pul said whatever resources were allocated to the state under the NDRF and the SDRF through the years were utilised for providing immediate relief to the people and no major restoration work could be taken up all these years.

Pul said roads, buildings, electricity transmission lines, health centres and schools were being subjected to repeated damage every year, weakening their foundations.

On the Chakma and Hajong refugee issue, the Centre agreed to file separate curative petitions in the Supreme Court over their permanent settlement in the state.

On the Tawang firing incident, Pul told Modi that the situation was under control and being monitored closely.

Pul asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to set up a Counter Insurgency Operations School in Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the school would help the government accelerate trained manpower to take on insurgents in the region.

"The institute would become the centre for research and development relating to insurgencies in the northeast and will provide a roadmap for holistic strategy for the central government," Pul said.

He also briefed the home minister on the situation in Tawang.

"The situation in Tawang is being constantly monitored after Monday's firing incident that left two dead and scores other injured," Pul told Rajnath Singh.

The chief minister also urged the union home minister to deploy additional companies of SSB and ITBP in Tawang and Bomdila and additional CRPF companies for the Kanubari bye-elections scheduled to be held on May 16.

For effective border management with air support along the India-Myanmar border, the chief minister asked for replacement of Assam Rifles with the Border Security Force.

He also requested border fencing along China on the pattern of the India-Pakistan border.

--IANS

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