Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 announced a total package of Rs 2,350 crore for all northeastern states hit by floods and immediate release of Rs 250 crore for flood-hit Assam, as he undertook a visit here to assess the situation in the region.
He also announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to floods in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
The seriously injured people will get Rs 50,000 each, the PMO said.
Regarding Assam, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Sarma said the Prime Minister announced release of Rs 250 crore immediately to carry out relief and rehabilitation.
In addition to that, the Prime Minister announced a Rs 100 crore corpus for setting up a research project to study Brahmaputra river and its role in creating devastating flood, Sarma said.
The package will be for flood relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction measures for affected states of the northeast, the Prime Minister said later.
The Prime Minister said the Center is always with Assam and the north eastern states and suggested adoption of short and long term measures to handle flood and erosion problems.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal presented Rs 3,888.09 crore loss due to the latest wave of flood in the state to Modi.
Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang sought at least Rs 700 crore for damages caused by latest wave of floods but declined to say whether the Prime Minister had assured him of funds.
Modi also promised help and support to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who submitted a memorandum to him on the damages caused by the floods, in providing relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding infrastructure in the flood-affected hill state.
India Tribune, as an English weekly newspaper, was launched in 1977 in Chicago by its publisher Prashant Shah with a lofty ideal to serve the Asian Indian community in the USA. Over the years, it has grown with all vigor, and now it is being published in three editions – Chicago, New York and Atlanta. India Tribune, a journal of its kind for the family in the USA, has been a household name for many Indians for over three decades with each issue commanding a readership of over 125,000.
