Biren hits back at 'don't inaugurate before completion' barb from Ibobi
Centre releases Rs 130.65 crore for flood relief
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 12 2018: Chief Minister N Biren today informed that the Government of India has released Rs 130.65 crore for providing assistance to people affected by floods last year and at the same time hit back at former Chief Minister O Ibobi's remark 'not to inaugurate any project before its completion'.

Speaking to media persons at the conference hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Biren recalled that the State witnessed devastating floods four/five times last year and vast tracts of paddy fields and homesteads were damaged while three persons were killed.

The State also witnessed huge landslides in hill areas.

Chief Minister N Biren speaking to media persons at the conference hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariat

The State Government declared natural calamity and sought assistance of Rs 435 crore from the Centre.

However, as floods occurred in many other States of the country, the Centre released only Rs 130.65 crore as Relief and Disaster Management Fund, Biren said.

The Chief Minister stated that the amount would be distributed soon through the concerned DCs.

Biren went on to claim that the amount released by the Centre for relief and disaster management is the largest during the past 15/16 years.

Informing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would land here on March 16, Biren asserted that no incomplete projects would be inaugurated just because the Prime Minister is visiting the State.

Being a man of principle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not do anything like inaugurating incomplete projects unlike the past when different projects could not be completed even after five years they had been inaugurated.

Only those projects whose benefits can be enjoyed by public on the next day of inauguration would be inaugurated, Biren asserted.

The Chief Ministergi Hakshelgi Tengbang was recently conferred the best award at a health summit organised by the Indian Express Group at Pune and it was a direct outcome of the people's mandate given to the Government, Biren said.

The total relief assistance of Rs 130.65 crore includes Rs 0.76 crore for payment of ex-gratia to families of people killed by the floods, Rs 0.014 crore for people who sustained injuries, Rs 0.03 crore for damaged houses, Rs 1.56 crore for assistance to people who took shelter in relief camps, Rs 0.245 for search and rescue operations and Rs 4.81 crore for providing temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care and drinking water at relief camps.

The amount also includes Rs 1.49 crore for clearance of debris in affected areas, Rs 6.22 crore for de-siltation of agricultural land, Rs 46.61 crore for providing input subsidy on agricultural/horticultural crops, Rs 13.76 crore for replacement of milch, draught/haulage animals, Rs 0.13 crore for assistance to fishermen for repair and replacement of damaged or lost boats and nets, Rs 8.326 crore for input subsidy to fish seed farms.

The same amount includes Rs 21.95 crore for housing sector, Rs 17.80 crore for roads and bridges, Rs 0.88 crore for PHED, Rs 2.94 for irrigation and Rs 0.05 crore for power.