Floods: Rijiju assures central aid, Meghalaya seeks Rs.2,000 crore

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijju Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Meghalaya where 46 people have been killed and several lakh have been affected.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Rs.2,000 crore to tide over the situation caused by unprecedented floods and landslides due to incessant rains.

"The situation is very serious. There has been extensive damage all over. I have seen with my own eyes thousands of damaged houses and public property (roads and bridges)," Rijiju told IANS over phone after making an aerial survey of the Garo Hills region and lower Assam.

National Disaster Response Force chief D.P. Singh also accompanied Rijiju during the aerial survey.

Rijiju said: "They have submitted their representation and given their presentation on the extensive damaged caused by floods and landslides. I will brief Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday on the flood situation in both the states."

Rajnath Singh will also conduct an aerial survey Oct 1 to assess the damages.

Promising that the central government will allot funds to both Meghalaya and Assam to recoup the damages, Rijiju, also minister for disaster management, said: "The prime minister (Narendra Modi) will make an announcement for a special relief package to tide over the post-flood situation once he returns from his US visit."

Rijiju also held a review meeting in Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma on the flood situation.

"I have submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through Rijiju seeking a financial assistance of Rs.2,000 crore to help the state and its people to rebuild public and private infrastructure damaged by the floods," Mukul Sangma told IANS over phone from Tura.

"The overall assessment of the damage will be done once the flood waters recede and the roads open for officials to reach all the areas," he added.