Surya Kant Dhasmana, vice president of the Uttarakhand state unit of Congress party, has alleged that the state government has failed in providing relief to people suffering from the natural disasters in a timely manner.
He stated that the recent natural disasters including cloud bursts, flooding and landslide in the state have revealed serious lack of disaster management machinery of the state.
Dhasmana further said that the disaster management machinery has failed to function properly, even after Uttarakhand is the only state in the country which has a separate ministry of disaster management. “In the recent incidents it has come to the notice that administration has failed to react in a manner it should have and the relief operations have got delayed. Interestingly, Chief Minister himself holds the disaster management portfolio,’’ he said.
The Congress leader said that he Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh after receiving information about Ghat tragedy in order to inform him regarding the destruction. “I told him about Ghat and informed him that dozens of houses have been destroyed in Doodhli. I also informed him that SDRF personnel and local administration has not reached the site of destruction. He assured me to take appropriate action,’’ he said.
Dhasmana added that the CS later informed him that the district magistrate of Chamoli was about to leave the district but she was asked immediately to go back to the district.