Manipur Landslide: Debabrata Saikia seeks financial aid for victims' families

Letters sent to PM, Railway Minister & CM over Manipur disaster

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia has written separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, requesting that financial assistance be providing to the families of those killed as well as to those injured in the massive landslide in the Noney district of Manipur.

He also called for a review of all the recent constructions of Indian Railways in the geo-sensitive zones of the North-East to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the near future.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Saikia mentioned that some people from Assam have also been killed or injured in the catastrophe and requested immediate release of Rs 25 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the families of each of the deceased workers from Assam and an amount of Rs 10 lakh for those who suffered minor and major injuries. He further urged the Prime Minister to ensure a review of the safety aspect of all ongoing railway construction works in the North-East.

In his letter to the Railway Minister, Saikia asserted that the incident "took an unfortunate turn because Indian Railways was not following the disaster management protocols adequately."

Mentioning that the incident claimed the lives of the sole breadwinners of at least eight families of Assam, Saikia urged Vaishnaw to release an amount of Rs 25 lakh to the families of each slain person and Rs 10 lakh to those who sustained injuries from the Indian Railways Calamity Relief Fund. Saikia also reiterated his appeal for a review of ongoing railway projects in the region.

In his letter to Himanta Biswa Sarma, Saikia urged the Chief Minister to release an amount Rs 10 lakh for each of the bereaved families of the State from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, along with Rs 5 lakh for those injured in the incident.

Saikia also requested the Chief Minister write a letter to the Railway Minister and ask the Railways to take responsibility of the families which have lost their only breadwinners in this incident.

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