Rajasthan demands Rs 3284.22 special package for floods

New Delhi, Sep 5 (UNI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide Rs 3294.22 crore special package to the state which is facing an unprecedented flood situation in twelve districts, especially Jaisalmer and Barmer.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister at the chief ministers meeting on Internal Security, Ms Raje said the situation was alarming and beyond imagination. The whole infrastructure had collapsed due to flash floods.

Unless the Centre rushed immediate assistance, the situation would further worsen resulting into a heavy loss of human lives and cattle.

Under the 18 heads for which she had demanded assistance include wage employment to affected families (Rs 1230.08 crore), input subsidy to affected farmers (Rs 520.65 crores), miscellaneous including damage to the mining and relocation of submerged villages (Rs 400 crores), restoration of roads Rs 333.99 crores), repair assistance for damaged houses (Rs 207.48 crores) and medical and health care (Rs 106.56 crores).

Talking to newspersons after the meeting, Ms Raje said the state government had so far been sanctioned a meagre amount of Rs 186 crore from the Natural Calamity Fund, out of which Rs 86 crore was already due to the state. Therefore, the Centre had given just Rs 100 crore.

The Chief Minister, however, admitted that the Prime Minister had assured her of all help after he received the reports of the Central Team which was now visiting the affected areas.

Ms Raje said the state was faced with a very peculiar situation.

Villagers were divided over the draining of water. While one section wanted that water should not be drained out as it could be later used for a few months, the other section is in favour of immediate pumping out of water to save their houses and belongings.

The State Government, she said, also tried drilling holes to allow the water to recede underground but gypsum rock prevented it after a point.

The Chief Minister, however, claimed that despite all the constraints, the State Government had succeeded in restoring electricity in the affected areas, except the two most affected areas of Kawas and Malwa.

All precautions were also being undertaken on a massive scale to guard against any epidemic. But the Government was hardpressed with the shortage of doctors and medical staff, she said, adding the Centre had been asked to allow the government to appoint doctors and other para-medical staff on day-to-day basis to meet the situation.

Besides, the government also needed adequate stock of tents to provide shelter to people who had been rescued from the submerged villages.

She said the situation was so alarming that 20 km wide lakes were formed by the floods in drought-affected areas and the people were reluctant to leave their houses.

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