In a major decision, the ministry of home affairs decided not to wait for states’ memorandum for visiting calamity-hit areas in the country. The resolution came after a High-Level Committee, chaired by Shah reviewed the existing practice of deputing an Inter-Ministerial Central Team IMCT after the receipt of the memorandum from the state in the wake of any severe calamity.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) will be immediately constituted in the aftermath of a natural calamity without waiting for the memorandum from the states. The decision came after reviewing the current calamities Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Bihar, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala. The ministry has decided to immediately constitute and send IMCTs to which have been affected by recent floods, a press release from the home ministry said.
“In a significant decision taken by the Union Home Minister, IMCT will henceforth be constituted immediately in the aftermath of any natural calamity of severe nature, which will visit the affected areas in the state so as to have first-hand assessment of damages caused and relief work carried out by the state administration,” the release said.
It said IMCT will again visit the state after submission of the memorandum for a detailed assessment of the damages and allocation of additional funds. At present, the IMCT visits the affected state only once after the receipt of the memorandum from the state. This has often caused a delay in rescue operations and increased the casualties.
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