Kedarnath revamp work details to be tabled in U''kand assembly

DEHRADUN:Details of funds spent over reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Kedarnath and other areas ravaged by 2013 flashfloods in Uttarakhand will be presented in the state Assembly during its forthcoming session scheduled to begin in Gairsain on November 2.

The Kedarnath Temple (centre) and surrounding buildings ravaged in 2013 flashfloods in Rudraprayag. — AFP/File photo

Dehradun, October 13

Details of funds spent over reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Kedarnath and other areas ravaged by 2013 flashfloods in Uttarakhand will be presented in the state Assembly during its forthcoming session scheduled to begin in Gairsain on November 2. The announcement was made at a high level meeting here yesterday where Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that the details to be tabled in the House will also include financial assistance received by the state government from the Centre and different organisations in the wake of the calamity.

The chief minister has asked officials to collect information on the funds received from different quarters, the works on which they were spent and other related details and put them together in the form of a report to be presented in the state assembly.

He praised relief and rehabilitation work carried out by different agencies in affected areas after the tragedy but regretted the fact that in the absence of a proper official document providing information misleading things were also said from time to time.

Therefore, all relevant information should be gathered from the districts, departments and implementing agencies concerned and put together in the form of a report at the administrative level so that any misinformation regarding relief and rehabilitation endeavours becomes impossible, an official release quoting the CM said.

A few months back, an RTI query had pointed towards huge irregularities in the spending of funds in Uttarakhand following the 2013 disaster prompting the state government to launch an inquiry by the then Chief Secretary N Ravishankar who gave the state government a clean chit in his report.

Rawat also suggested developing the State Disaster Response Force established in the wake of the calamity on the lines of NDRF as a multi-purpose force and deployment of its officers for long periods at one place so that they know their location properly and can work more efficiently in times of a crisis. — PTI