FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday announced financial assistance of Rs four lakhs, each, to the families, who lost one of their members to the recent flash floods. Total two people, including a woman, lost their lives.
Replying to the calling attention motion, Sawant said that a compensation to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh to those families whose mud houses collapsed completely due to the floods, by August 15.
He also said that those families whose houses suffered major damage will get Rs 1 lakh compensation while other houses with minor damage will be given between Rs 25,000-Rs 1 lakh by September.
Sawant said that in North Goa nearly 749 houses were damaged while in South, 806. He said that 800 people in different Talukas were evacuated and sheltered in many schools or community centres.
“I have personally visited the flood areas and I have seen by myself as houses collapse. People were crying. As immediate relief, we have done everything possible to ensure safety of the people from the affected areas,” Sawant told the House, adding we would provide relief to every family, irrespective of joint or nuclear.
The Chief Minister said that families who lost their cow or other livestock will be compensated at Rs 25,000.
The United Opposition had moved a calling attention with regards to the fear and anxiety in the minds of the people due to the current floods in the various parts and consequent loss of life, property, fields, live stocks, etc. The MLAs demanded that the planning should be based on ecological and topographical terrains.
Responding to the motion, the Chief Minister said that this year, many projects are about to be completed to help Goa deal with disasters, especially cyclones, in a better manner. He said that a total 11 cyclone shelters are in an advanced stage of completion and one has been already being inaugurated. These cyclone shelters will be handed over to the local community to run.
Additionally, installation of 39 early warning towers would be completed this year under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Programme (NCRMP) Phase II funded by the World bank, under which training of stakeholders has started to reach to the last person to make them aware of the action to be taken by them during Cyclone and floods.
Sawant said that the Government will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Disaster Management Authority for the Centrally Sponsored “Aapda Mitra Scheme”, under which 200 volunteers in each district will be trained in First Responder for various disasters.
The opposition led by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat unanimously demanded that the government should construct the house of the affected families along with providing the financial compensation. “It is very important that the government construct and give them the houses. The loss is not just of houses but of entire livelihood and the compensation is not going to take care of all,” Kamat said.
Kamat also said that the government needs to take measures to avoid such disasters in future.
