IMPHAL, Jan 12 - Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has sent a letter to the Prime Minister seeking a Rs 500-cr financial assistance for taking up relief operations in the earthquake-hit areas of the State. This was disclosed by State Chief Secretary O Nabakishore to a group of media-persons here on Monday.
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Manipur and its neighbouring region on January 4 morning, which claimed 8 lives and left 120 people injured, besides damaging around 2,000 houses and structures, as per preliminary official reports of the State Government.
Nabakishore said that the State Government will be releasing about Rs 10 crore to extend relief assistance to the earthquake-affected people through the respective district administration. The State Government has also earmarked Rs 5 crore for Senapati district and Rs 1.5 crore each for Tamenglong and Imphal West district, he added.
He informed that an expert team, led by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur Director CVR Murti, had inspected all the earthquake-affected Government buildings and others in the State, including the Ima Keithel (Mother�s Market) in Imphal, Minister Blocks at Secretariat, Assembly Secretariat and High Court buildings. The expert team declared the Luxmi Market and New Market and the Minister�s Block at Manipur Secretariat as unsafe.
Meanwhile, Nabakishor had a meeting with officials of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) headed by Executive Director Dipankar Ray at his office chamber in Imphal in regard to the newly constructed Malom Oil Depot, which is to be made operational from April. He said that the IOC officials had informed him that the capacity of the stock of petroleum products in the State will be increased once the depot is opened. The IOC officials also informed him that LPG customers can book their cylinders through IBRS or by sending SMS to the number 7670024365 or through website (www.mylpg.in).
