PM to visit flood affected region of Maha., Gujarat

New Delhi, Aug 8: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit the flood affected regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra on August 10 and has assured all possible Central assistance to the states facing devastating floods in which over 200 people have been killed so far.

Under instructions from the Prime Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is providing full support for flood relief.

Dr. Singh has spoken to Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Prime Minister's Office is monitoring the flood situation which has affected a large section of population in these four states.

It has offered to immediately release the Calamity Relief Funds to the four affected states and provide additional financial assistance to them to deal with the floods.

Flood situation in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh is being closely monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Control Room established in the ministry is functioning round the clock on a 24X7 basis to coordinate the logistic support required by the affected states.

Regular meetings are being conducted in the ministry to review the situation caused by heavy rains/floods. In these meetings a comprehensive review has been conducted by Secretary, (border Management), MHA to expedite provision of the requisite logistic support to the affected States. It is also in constant touch with the concerned state governments.

The Centre has provided six helicopters to Maharashtra of which four are deployed at Nanded and two at Yavatmal. One helicopter each is kept on standby at Pune and Nagpur.

Seven naval diving teams with Gemini boats are made available to State Government. One is deployed at Nanded and six are on standby at Mumbai. Nine teams of Engineering Task Force (each with 2 boats and 2 OBMs and 2 persons) are deployed, two at Nanded and one each at Jalna, Washim, Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana and Nandarbar districts.

Seven Army columns are deployed at Hingoli , Parbhani , Yavatmal , Washim , Jalna , Sangli and Kolhapur while 200 personnel from CRPF are also deployed at Nanded.

The Centre is ready to immediately release the first instalment of Calamity Relief Fund to Maharashtra. The state was not earlier released CRF as utilisation certificate was not yet furnished.

Andhra Pradesh has been provided eight helicopters by the centre which are deployed at Bhadrachalam , West Godavari and East Godabari districts. Seven naval diving teams with Gemini boats are deployed at Amalapuram, Bhadrachalam and Polavaram. The logistic support provided to the Chhattisgarh government include one helicopter being deployed for relief operations in Konta Block of Dantewara district.

The centre has given four helicopters to Gujarat and deployed five army columns in the state. Five Teams of Engineering Task Force are deployed in Surat and Vadodara. About 100 personnel of NDRF are deployed in Anand and in Kheda districts while one NDRF Company is to be deployed at Surat.

Meanwhile, the first instalment of Central share of Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) amounting to Rs.135.48 crore has been released to Andhra Pradesh.

Gujarat has also been provided the first instalment of Central share of CRF amounting to Rs.96.865 crore.

The first instalment of Central share of CRF have not been released to Chhattisgarh as the utilisation certificates for the earlier releases have not yet been furnished.

To facilitate relief operations, it is proposed to release the second instalment of Central share of CRF to Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat in advance and it is also proposed to release the first instalment of Central share of CRF to Maharashtra immediately.

If the affected States require additional financial assistance, they would, as per the laid down procedure, need to submit a detailed Memorandum to the Union Government. The Home Ministry will immediately depute Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to the affected States to assess the extent of damage and quantum of Additional Central Assistance to be provided to them under the National Calamity Contingency Fund.

UNI
M'shtra seeks Rs 500 cr from Centre for relief

Related Stories
Declare floods in Guj, AP, K'taka natl calamity