Arunachal CM Kalikho Pul Asks PM Modi For Rs12,000 Crore As Flood Relief

Itanagar:  On Thursday, Arunchal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Kalikho Pul sought a financial assistance of Rs 12,000 crore from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reconstruction work following recent natural calamities in the state.

Pul met Modi in New Delhi and informed him that the floods in the state triggered by unprecedented and torrential pre-monsoon rains were of unexpected proportions. Modi assured him of all central support in reconstruction activities and to mitigate the flood-induced disasters. “As immediate relief, the central governments released Rs 66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF),” Pul said later.

Pul informed Modi that several districts, including Tawang bordering China, have been severely affected, and 21 people lost their lives. He said basic infrastructure, which had been created with great difficulty in harsh terrain and in far-flung areas, was completely devastated. “Landslides, fissures and massive landslips triggered by the high intensity rains have resulted in even basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, telecom etc. in the state to be non-functional,” he said.

Pul said whatever resources were allocated to the state under the NDRF and the SDRF through the years were utilized for providing immediate relief to the people and no major restoration work could be taken up all these years. He also said that roads, buildings, electricity transmission lines, health centres and schools were being subjected to repeated damage every year, weakening their foundations.

Pul asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to set up a Counter Insurgency Operations School in Arunachal Pradesh. He said the school would help the government accelerate trained manpower to take on insurgents in the region.