'Death certificates delivered to kin of 3,471 flood victims'

Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today said the death certificates of 3,471 out of the 4,009 devotees killed in the last year's floods in the state had been delivered to their kin, along with relief funds.
Qureshi, while delivering the inauguration address at the three-day special session of Uttarakhand Assembly here today, said the state suffered a huge loss due to the natural calamity in terms of human lives and property.
"Around 4,009 devotees were washed away in the natural calamity. The state government, in a special drive, delivered death certificates along with relief funds to the kin of 3,471 victims," he said.

Terming the calamity's spread over 40,000 square km as a challenge for relief works, he said the efforts made by state government was commendable though.
The state government is taking effective steps to minimise natural calamities in future, including establishing a battalion of the National Disaster Response Force and forming State Disaster Response Force, the Governor said.