GUWAHATI, July 31 - As the State Assembly passed The Assam Appropriation (No III) Bill, 2019, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that Rs 521 crore in the total of Rs 7580.51 crore of supplementary demands for grants for this fiscal has been allotted for flood damage repair works.
�The SDRF are not adequate to meet the flood damage repair works, as many things do not fall under the norms. We have brought in a new concept this time. It is for the first time that flood damage repair works will be carried out from the SODP (State Own Priority Development) funds,� Sarma told the State Assembly.
He said Rs 200 crore is being allotted to the Water Resources department alone, and another Rs 300 crore will be made available by the year end.
�The earlier practice was that the embankments were repaired in only the breached portions. This time we are going to repair and strengthen the entire embankment, and not just repair the breached portion,� Sarma said.
According to the Minister, if only the breached portion is repaired, there is a possibility of breached in other weak patches.
�Thus, if the entire embankment is repaired and strengthened, it will be more sustainable. For this, the government will have to spend Rs 1.5 crore per km of embankment. These works will be first time carried out under SOPD,� the Minister said.
