CM holds review of disaster management dept
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 24 Sep: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review of the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department here today. During the meeting, the CM directed all roads in the state to be made pothole free by 15 October. The officials were told that the work in this regard be carried out on a war footing to normalise the situation in all the areas affected by heavy rains in the state at the earliest possible.
The Secretaries, Heads of Departments (HoDs) and all District Magistrates were told to regularly review the reconstruction works as well as conduct physical verification of the works that have been completed. Dhami asserted that the roads which are currently closed should be made operational as soon as possible. Also, arrangements made for permanent treatment of roads at places which are vulnerable or sensitive from the disaster perspective.
The CM emphasised that it should be ensured that the general public does not face any kind of problem in the disaster affected areas. For this, all departments will need to work in coordination and solve the problems. The damage caused in the disaster affected areas should be assessed and compensation granted as per the approved norms. He added that that DMs should work towards making their districts, ideal districts. The process of displacement of people from the villages, wherever necessary should also be completed at the earliest. He advised the DMs to themselves oversee the various arrangements in the districts.
Dhami issued instructions to the officials to ensure foolproof arrangements to prevent water-borne diseases after the rainy season. He directed the Health Department to run regular awareness campaigns in this regard. He also warned the officials that any kind of negligence in the sanitation and cleanliness arrangements will not be tolerated. Along with maintaining hygiene and sanitation in the hospitals, he also instructed them to provide all the basic facilities to the patients. Urban roads that come under the Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats are also to be repaired.
It was stated at the meeting that, during the current financial year, a total amount of Rs 427.87 crores has been allocated for protection from natural disasters and for rehabilitation works in the state. Of this, an amount of Rs 386.87s crore has been released from the State Disaster Relief Fund, an amount of Rs 15 crores from the State Sector Mitigation head and an amount of Rs 26 crores from the State Sector Non SDRF account.
It was also disclosed that an additional amount of Rs 95 crores is being given to the departments for the restoration and rehabilitation from the State Disaster Relief Fund. For this, an amount of Rs 50 crores is to be being given to the Public Works Department (PWD), Rs 15 crores to PMGSY, Rs 20 crores to the Drinking Water Corporation and an amount of Rs 10 crores to UPCL.
Vice Chairman of State Disaster Management Advisory Committee, Vinay Rohilla, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretaries R Meenakshi Sundaram and Shailesh Bagoli, Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, Resident Commissioner Ajay Mishra, Additional Secretaries of all related departments, head of the departments and all the District Magistrates were present at the meeting, either physically or on virtual basis.
