Central team on natural calamity assessment tour of Sikkim

Gangtok, Nov 7 (UNI) The six-member inter-ministerial Central team today left for New Delhi after completing their five-day spot evaluation of the damage caused to roads and property in Sikkim, triggered by heavy rainfall this year.

Extensive damage occurred throughout the state even as National Highway 31 A was disrupted for almost a month following uninterrupted rainfall.

Official sources said the inter-ministerial team, comprising representatives from the Central Planning Commission, Finance and other Central agencies, was led by Joint Secretary (Administration) of the Home Ministry R P Nath.

During their visit, the Central team toured the state extensively and gave special emphasis to the South and West districts.

The road connectivity in the two districts had been destroyed completely.

The state line department officials assisted the Central team in assessing the road condition.

The state government had submitted a memorandum, made by the state Land Revenue and Disaster Management department, to the Central Relief Commissioner in the Home Ministry in October, requesting for an assessment of the damage.

''The Central team assured us to recommend the demand for compensation to the Home Ministry,'' a departmental official said.

During their tour, the Central team assessed that the damage was colossal, the official informed.

Meanwhile, the state government had been directed by the Central team to forward supplementary demands for damages caused by the monsoons.

The concerned departments would work on it and submit the supplementary proposal accordingly, officials added.

The damages were estimated seperately from those of NH 31 A which would be taken care of by the Border Roads Organisation and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

UNI