Arunachal CM visits Bhalukpong

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul today visited Bhalukpong where landslides claimed ten lives on Friday and assured government help to the injured.
Pul handed over ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the relatives of each of the victims besides Rs 1 lakh each to the four injured, an official release said.
He assured that the government would extend further financial help to the injured in their treatment and offered government job to a casual worker who lost her mother and sister in the landslide.
Asserting that there would be no discrimination in distribution of relief, he said it was perhaps for the first time that ex-gratia relief was handed to non-tribals.

"The state government is committed to prevent misuse of relief funds as was done earlier. There will be no fund shortage for relief as the government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh per district," Pul said.
He informed that he had also asked the administration to use Rs 30 lakhs at its disposal for immediate relief activities and had sanctioned Rs 1 crore for further restoration activities.

The chief minister thanked paramilitary personnel, BRTF, NDRF, government officials, panchayat leaders and local people for helping in search and rescue operation.
He asked the district administration to strictly ban people from rampant earth cutting to prevent such landslides in future and to impose strict penalty, specially on those involved in rock and gravel mining on the river banks.

He also asked the administration to take disciplinary actions against those officials who were not at their place of posting despite the landslide, the release said.
Pul directed immediate repair and restoration of water facilities on top priority and assured there would be no shortage of funds.
The chief minister, who visited Tippi bridge point and Kola camp to inspect river erosion, asked the department to prepare proposals for protection works.
Pul was accompanied by state power minister T N Thongdok and legislators Likha Saaya, Markio Tado and Tamar Murtem, the release added.