Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said that the government will examine the need to extend some relief to houses damaged by the incidents of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts.
“I have taken note of the suggestion and we will examine the matter,” Sangma said while replying to a query raised by suspended Congress legislator, Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh during the Question Hour in the Assembly on the third day of the ongoing autumn session.
The legislator from East Shillong Assembly Constituency had requested the Chief Minister to consider extending relief to houses damaged by IED blasts while referring to one such blast at Ïew Shillong (Laitumkhrah market) on August 10, 2021.
Lyngdoh, who is also chairperson of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s Committee for Empowerment of Women, informed the House that the blast had caused extensive damage to the houses at the place of occurrence.
She had sought to know whether IED blast has been notified under the disaster management to which the minister in-charge revenue and disaster management, Kyrmen Shylla responded that the IED blast is a “man made disaster”.
“I don’t think it is included under the disaster management as we have norms (for that),” he said.
The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) had claimed responsibility for the IED blast at the busy market area at Laitumkhrah last year.
Intervening during question hour to a different question, the Chief Minister said that the government is contemplating to park more funds with the Deputy Commissioners for emergency relief when natural calamities affect the people.
He said recently during a DCs conference it was learnt that only Rs. 25 lakh are available with respective Deputy Commissioners for release of emergency relief when natural calamities strike. This fund is inadequate and the government is trying to increase this amount, he said.
Shylla informed the House that an amount of Rs. 50.26 crore has been released to all the DCs for distribution to those affected by natural calamities while replying to the question asked by George Lyngdoh from the opposition Trinamool Congress.
