Memo for flood aid from Centre yet to be finalised

The Punjab Government’s memorandum, to be presented to the Centre to seek aid for rebuilding the flood-ravaged state, seems to be stuck in the numerical mumbo jumbo.

A meeting of top officials of various departments held on Monday to prepare the final estimates remained inconclusive as the estimates prepared by various departments did not add up to the total figure of Rs 13,832 crore that the state had presented to the inter-ministerial central team that visited the state last month.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said the state had not submitted any memorandum detailing the loss suffered. Another meeting will now be held on Wednesday to finalise the memorandum.

The administrative heads of 13 departments have been asked to finalise the assessment. The meeting will be chaired by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha. Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Anurag Verma said the meeting had been convened again as the full information had not come from departments in the proper format. “We are according top priority to this and the memorandum will be submitted shortly,” he said.

Sources say the Agriculture Department has been asked to include the estimate of compensation for paddy crop damage due to false smut. The Education Department has been asked to include damage to school infrastructure.