CM Sarbananda Sonowal announces Rs 100 crore package for Barak Valley

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, today, said the government would soon release Rs 100 crore for Barak Valley, for initiatives to prevent flood damage including repair of embankments and renovation of sluice gates.

Sonowal, who was on a two-day visit to the valley, announced the mega package this afternoon after a meeting with officials of various departments to review the flood situation in the valley. The meeting was held at the Cachar deputy commissioner’s office in Silchar.

Post the meeting, the chief minister told media persons that the valley has witnessed one of the most severe floods this year with lakhs of people (combining the three districts – Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi) getting affected and large number of houses being destroyed.

He further said that the fund would be released soon, and stressed that the political leaders of the party should review the process from time to time, so that the fund is utilised properly.

“All the sluice gates in the valley will be revivified using latest technologies and the embankments will be repaired. The process will begin soon,” he said.

“The government considers Barak Valley equally important as Brahmaputra Valley. It has a prudent vision of taking this valley towards the path of progress and development. The love, blessings and support of the common masses will be needed,” the CM added.

Earlier, Sonowal visited a relief camp set up at Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School to learn about the condition of people residing in the camp.

One of the inmates, with whom Sonowal spoke at the camp, shared that though she (along with many other residents of Kalibari Char area) has stayed at relief camps almost every year because of floods, but not a single political leader ever visits them.

Besides, Sonowal, as part of the Jan Sampark Abhiyan, visited the residence of K.P. Chakraborti, a retired doctor and a member of Cachar Cancer Hospital this morning. There, he interacted with Chakraborty and his family members.

This was the first visit by the chief minister in Barak Valley as part of the Jan Sampark Abhiyan.