NEW DELHI, July 23 ? Within days of his tour to flood-ravaged Assam, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today initiated a series of actions to help flood-hit Assam, including a direction to the Union Finance Ministry to take action on the Assam Government?s plea for conversion of loan assistance worth Rs 380 crore to grant. The Prime Minister?s fresh initiatives came on a day when BJP announced former Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani?s tour of the flood-hit State on July 27. Official sources said that Assam Government brought to the attention of the Prime Minister its earlier requests and the Centre?s assurances that loan assistance for 25 years (1974-2000) totalling Rs 380 crore would be converted to grant. The Prime Minister has asked the Finance Ministry to take appropriate action on this issue.
Dr Manmohan Singh has also directed the Union Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) to set up a Task Force to look into the problems of recurring floods in Assam and neighbouring States, official sources said.
The Task Force will be set up by July 31. It will recommend short-and long-term measures and sources of funding for tackling the problem of floods in the region. Dr Singh has also instructed the MoWR to draw up a plan of action to start work on two Centrally sanctioned multi-purpose projects including the Lower Subansiri Hydro-Power Project and the Pagladiya dam project. The Ministry has been asked to finalise the date of starting the work on the projects by July 31, sources said.
As the National Highways are lifelines to the North-Eastern States, the Prime Minister has directed the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry to immediately send a team to Assam and neighbouring States to assess the damage to the highways and take action for urgent repairs, sources said. The Prime Minister has further directed the Cabinet Secretary to immediately fill up all vacancies of senior posts in the North-Eastern Council (NEC). These include the posts of Secretary (NEC), Adviser (Transport), Adviser (Industries) and Adviser (Finance).
Meanwhile, Sri Advani is going to make an aerial survey of several flood-hit districts including Kamrup, Nagaon, Nalbari and Darrang, disclosed BJP State unit president, Indramoni Bora. The visit was confirmed to a delegation of State BJP leaders including Sri Bora, Rajen Gohain and Narayan Borkotoki by Sri Advani this afternoon.
The BJP State leaders had raised the issue in the meeting of the Party?s Parliamentary Board requesting that Central leaders of the Party should visit the flood-affected State-specially after the tour of the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, political bickering has started among the political parties over the flood, with BJP today alleging discrimination in distribution of relief materials by the ruling congress Party. On the other hand, the Congress Party MPs have charged the AGP and BJP of politicising the issue.
Dwijendranath Sarma, Rajya Sabha MP, said that both AGP and BJP did precious little to tackle the problem of flood. As many as 52 flood control schemes were submitted by Assam Government to the NDA Government but none was cleared, he charged. The Congress Party MPs are peeved with the AGP and BJP for keeping them out of Thursday?s demonstration in Parliament House on the issue of flood problem.
Meanwhile, Rajen Gohain charged that the Congress workers were discriminating in distribution of relief materials to flood victims on political considerations. He also alleged that relief materials were stolen and sold in open market.The BJP MP said that the State Government should form am all-party committees for relief and rehabilitation. Narayan Borkotoki said that the State Government should seek additional funds under PMGSY for construction of road damaged by floods.