Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Thursday that rescue work was still going on in the rain-ravaged Bastadi village in Pithoragarh district. He said he had visited the village and held a meeting with the officials to plug the loopholes he had found during his visit. He said this to the media prsons in the presence of State Congress in-charge Ambika Soni and State PCC president Kishore Upadhyay at Bijapur Guest House on Thursday.
“Taking note of what Soniji said about Rs 1 lakh as compensation against the completely damaged house being too small, we have decided to give them Rs 1 lakh in addition by way of compensation from the Chief Minister’s relief fund,” CM said.
Central forces along with SDRD and Uttarkahand police jawan are working round the clock in the disaster affected areas, he said. “Currently 475 personnel are busy in rescue work. Eleven persons are still missing. We are of the view that these persons were swept away by Mahakali river. The rescue operation is being done keeping this possibility in view,” he said, adding that they had disbursed Rs 1 crore among the people as an interim relief.
He said he has instructed the officials to conduct the survey of loss of lives and properties in the next five days. “Meanwhile, we have started disbursing compensation against the loss of cattle heads. In Chamoli district, 50 percent of the affected people have been given compensation and remaining 50 percent will be given the same shortly,” he said.
“With the addition in the amount, those whose houses were completely damaged would receive Rs 2 lakhs, including Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s relief fund, as compensation from the State Government. Similar pattern will be followed in the cases of partially damaged houses,” CM said.
Referring to the financial crisis the state has been staring at , CM said things would not be allowed to be hampered. “We would build alternative arrangements. We are in the process to building shelter houses for the domestic animals. I have instructed the DMs to provide rented accommodation to the affected instead of keeping them in camps,” he said.
CM accepted the notion that DIdihaat is the worst affected area in Pithoragarh district. “Now geographical survey is mandatory. DM has been asked to shift the houses in the disaster prone areas to safer places. Taking cognisance of the lesson this year’s disaster has given us, I have asked the Chief Secretary to study two aspectswhich would be brought in the next Cabinet meeting. We have to think how the State can help in case the principal bread earner of a family dies. We are considering whether we would give the next of kin a Government job on compassionate ground. CS has been asked to study how to get rid of all the legal hassles too,” CM said.