Assam government sanctioned Rs 1,066 crore for 271 flood control schemes

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The State government has sanctioned Rs 1,066 crore against 271 flood control schemes. The sanctioned funds are from the State Government, NABARD and the Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region). Works of all the 271 schemes have been approved, and the State government hopes that 90 per cent of their works will be completed by April next.

State Water Resource Minister Keshab Mahanta and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the media of this in a joint press conference here on Monday.

Against the backdrop of allegations that the Finance Department has not been releasing funds on time, leading to delay in implementation of schemes, the two departments had a joint meeting and approved the schemes on the spot. According to the two ministers, the 271 approved schemes also include the entire repair of ageing embankments, besides repairing only breaches in some of them.

The ministers further said that from next year contractors will have to take the responsibility of the upkeep of embankments for three years after construction. Only contractors well equipped with their trade have been given contracts, they said. They made it a point that from next year the PWD will take some of the embankments to use them as roads, a measure that is set to make the embankments stronger.

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