GUWAHATI, July 26 - Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today called up Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to get first-hand information on the latest flood situation in the State.
According to an official press release here, Chief Minister Sonowal apprised the Union Home Minister, in course of a long telephonic discussion this morning, about the latest flood situation in the State and the slew of steps initiated by the State Government for relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.
The Home Minister assured the Chief Minister that the Central Government would provide all help and assistance to the State Government and would bear the expenses involved in dealing with the flood situation in the State.
Singh also conveyed to the Chief Minister that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been keeping a close tab on the flood situation in Assam and has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to extend all possible help and support to the flood-affected people in their hour of distress.
In view of the deterioration in flood situation, following incessant rainfall in the last few days, Chief Minister Sonowal has directed all the Deputy Commissioners to gear up relief and rescue operations on a war footing and to leave no stone unturned to reach out to the affected people. �There should not be any ground for complaint and succour must be provided to the affected people. Special care must be given to women and infants,� he said in course of his video conferencing with DCs of affected districts from his conference room at the Assam Secretariat here yesterday.
The Chief Minister issued directive that no irregularity would be tolerated during the distribution of foodstuff and relief materials to the affected people and asked the DCs to ensure �quality food� to the affected people in view of alleged reports that �substandard food� were being distributed in some affected areas.
Sonowal also directed the DCs to provide pure drinking water, medicines, baby food and fodder to the affected areas. The Chief Minister asked the district heads to ensure proper sanitation in the relief camps to keep diseases at bay. Sonowal also asked them to keep sufficient number of country boats to meet any exigency.
