Leh cloudburst: PMO urges industry to join hands in rehabilitation effort

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today called upon the Indian industry to join hands in the rehabilitation of the people of Leh and Kargil, where flash floods and mudslides triggered by a massive cloudburst on April 6 had caused widespread loss to life and property.

An official press release said Mr T K A Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, met with office-bearers of the industry bodies such as CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, PHDCCI and SCOPE today and sought their support for the rebuilding of both infrastructure and livelihoods in Leh and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir.

Among those present at the meeting were CII President Hari Bhartia, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee, former FICCI President Harshpati Singhania, ASSOCHAM President Swati Piramal, PHDCCI President Ashok Kajaria and SCOPE Director General U D Choubey.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had, during his visit to the affected areas, announced support to the State Government for the rebuildig of houses, hospitals, water supply and water supply and had sanctioned Rs 125 crore for the purpose.

Dr Singh had also directed that houses should be rebuilt before the onset of the winter and that he would visit the area again to ensure that this was done.

Mr Nair said there was no shortage of funds and what was needed from the industry was the pooling together of knowledge and implementation resources to ensure that the target of rehabilitation of the population before winter was met.

He said there was a need for the private sector to participate and partner the Government in such efforts.

The industry associations assured the PMO that they would spare no effort in this regard. While they have already placed some groups on the ground to conduct initial studies, they will ramp up their efforts in coordination with the PMO and the State Government, they said.

The areas for cooperation will include ensuring adequate supply of material, equipment, and labour, along with necessary assistance in terms of technical expertise and medical assistance as needed.

According to the release, the PMO has asked the State Government to prepare a target and milestone map for rehabilitation and to have it ready by the end of this month. Mr Nair has directed PMO officials to monitor the implementation on the ground to ensure that the targets are met.

About 180 people were killed in the flash floods and mudslides, and more than 400 were injured. Besides, the disaster also caused widespread damage to public and private property.

NNN