In a bid to give pace to develop infrastructure, the World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will establish their offices in Uttarakhand. A World Bank team will reach Uttarakhand on August 1 to assess the damage.
For the approved works, 90 per cent of the expense will be received as grant, while the State Government will have to spend the remaining 10 per cent of the total cost.
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna revealed this after having a dialogue with the country heads of these two banks in presence of Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) joint secretary. WB and ADB have assured that they would provide full support to the state government for the rebuilding of infrastructure, which got damaged in
natural calamity.
On Tuesday, the CM had meeting with MoEA joint secretary Nilay Mitash, WB India’s head Onno Ruhl, and ADB head Hum Kim at the Secretariat, in which he apprised them that a large number of roads, bridges, potable water and electric lines have washed away. Besides that, massive amount of public and private properties have been damaged.
“World Bank officials have vast experience of assessment worldwide; so we have appealed them to assess the damage independently and help us for its restoration. Even they are agreed to open their unit in the State and the State would provide all kind of assistance.”
He said that the State’s economy depends upon tourism and now it has damaged severely. Along with this huge number of roads washed away and will be able to assess completely once we managed to reopen the roads. These institutions have massive experience in the restoration of infrastructure world wide.
“For this, we have appointed lt Gen (retd) MC Badhani as chairman of Disaster Management Advisory Committee (DMAC) and the committee has been assigned to make coordination with it. Most of the cities and villages have established on the bank of rivers so we have received huge loss and so we have asked them to give recommendation about how to save them.”
Mitash said that he would make assessment of loss in between August 1-15. “Wherever help is required, we would make an intensive plan.”
Ruhl said that WB would do assessment of the State’s damage and assured that funds would be no hurdle in rebuilding infrastructure.
He stressed that there is need to have better coordination, so that they can utilise the fund within stipulated time. ADB head Kim has also assured they would provide full support to the State and
reiterated that currently several infrastructures are being
developed with the help of
the ADB.
Other dignitaries like Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya, Panchayati Raj Minister Pritam Singh, Chief secretary Subhash Kumar, Chief Resident Commissioner SK Mattoo, Principal Secretary Finance Rakesh Sharma and Secretary Tourism Umakant Panwar were present.