Indian Kanoon - Search engine for Indian Law

Lok Sabha Debates

Discussion Regarding Natural Calamities In West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar ... on 28 October, 1999

Title: Discussion regarding natural calamities in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.

15.08 hrs. MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, we take up item number 22, Discussion under Rule 193.

Two hours are allotted for this discussion.

Shri Ajoy Chakraborty.

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY (BASIRHAT): Hon. Deputy-Speaker Sir, I initiate the discussion under rule 193 on the subject of natural calamities which took place in the middle of this month in Orissa, West Bengal, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Sir, when our countrymen are engaged and busy, in a festive mood, with Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals, at the very moment, severe and tragic disasters took place and destroyed the entire coastal area of Orissa and West Bengal as well as parts of Andhra Pradesh. In Orissa, more than 200 people were killed and thousands and thousands of people were rendered homeless and shelterless as a result of the severe cyclonic storm which ripped through the coastal areas of Orissa leaving behind a trail of devastation. Besides Orissa, all the districts of West Bengal and a major part of Bihar and the coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly, Srikakulam district, were badly affected.

According to the preliminary survey report, more than seven lakh or eight lakh people in eleven districts of Orissa have been badly affected, and thousands and thousands of acres of paddy and other crops were totally damaged because the heavy rainfall inundated or submerged these areas. Due to this, Orissa, West Bengal, some parts of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were badly affected. In West Bengal, all the blocks in 14 districts were badly affected, due to the effect of cyclonic storm. This heavy and unprecedented rainfall had cut-off not only South Bengal and North Bengal, but also the districts of Midnapore, Murshidabad, North 24 Paraganas, and South 24 Paraganas. All the districts in South Bengal and North Bengal were badly affected, and they were disconnected from each other. It was not only the districts in West Bengal, but even the Calcutta City was badly affected. For a few days, the City of Calcutta was inundated or submerged under the heavy and unprecedented rainfall.

In Orissa and West Bengal, paddy and other crops in lakhs of acres were submerged or inundated under the water. The seedlings of paddy and other crops were totally damaged. Besides, roads, highways and train lines were out of gear. At this moment, all the roads, particularly highways, were totally damaged or destroyed; at some places, roads have been withered away due to heavy rainfall, and it has become very difficult to move relief materials to the flood-prone areas.

When the natural calamity took place in Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, the prices of ...

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Just a minute. There is no Panel of Chairmen now. If the House agrees, I will request Shri Yerrannaidu to take the Chair.

1514 hours (Shri K. Yerrannaidu in the Chair) SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY : Mr. Chairman, Sir, the people of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and in some parts of your State were badly affected by the devastation caused by the heavy rainfall.

Due to damaged roads, the total transport system has been thrown out of gear. At that point of time it was very difficult to carry the relief materials to the affected people in different parts of the country. Some unscrupulous businessmen took advantage of this situation and indulged in blackmarketing and hoarding as a result of which the prices of the essential commodities got hiked. Not only that, it is a matter of regret that at that point of time only the prices of diesel were hiked which added to further increase of prices of the essential commodities. The people were suffering and they were also subjected to irreparable loss and injury. The entire telecommunication and power system had totally collapsed during the time of this severe disaster. Paddy seedlings and seedlings of other crops were damaged and destroyed. Cattles, like bullocks, cows and buffaloes were killed. In the absence not only of seedlings but also for lack of cattles it has become very difficult on the part of the cultivators to start their cultivation.

Mr. Chairman, Sir, this unprecedented devastation took place in our country particularly in the States of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and parts of Andhra Pradesh which resulted in the sufferings of the people. The concerned State Governments urged upon the Central Government, they are virtually pleading, for financial assistance under the Natural Calamities Relief Fund. I would like to urge upon the Government of India not to politicise this issue and take a step-motherly attitude while providing financial assistance to the State Governments. I would like to urge upon the Government to provide the funds irrespective of whichever State Government is in power, be it the Left Front Government, or the Congress Government or the RJD Government or the TDP Government.

Sir, I would like to urge upon the Prime Minister and other Ministers of the Central Government to come forward and save our countrymen from their plight and render all possible financial assistance and provide whatever amount has been asked for by the State Governments from the Natural Calamities Fund. In the State of West Bengal, the Government had held an all-Party meeting in the Writers"""" Building and a unanimous resolution was passed in which an amount of Rs. 721 crore has been sought from the Central Government for providing relief to the affected people. So far as I know, till date not a single paise, not a single farthing has been allotted to the State of West Bengal.

I urge upon the Government of India not to treat this issue as a political issue. The Government of India should not take up this issue with a stepmotherly attitude. West Bengal is a part and parcel of the Indian Union. The Government of West Bengal has sought an assistance of Rs.721 crore from the Central Government. However, not a single paisa has been sanctioned for the State. People there are suffering very much. They are not getting relief materials. They have lost their shelters. They are all poor people and they are now homeless. All their cultivable lands were damaged by the cyclonic storm. Their fields were inundated by heavy rains.

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of West Bengal. We are aware of the fact that during Puja days Calcutta city looked like a ghost city. In several villages and towns in West Bengal, people could not come out of their shelters to assemble in the Puja pandals. Puja pandals wore a deserted look during those days. Severe damage was caused to the people in West Bengal and Orissa because of this storm. However, it is a matter of regret that up till now not a single paisa has been allotted by the Central Government to the Government of West Bengal. The same thing happened in West Bengal in 1998. The State Government sought Rs.709 crore for undertaking relief work in flood-hit areas, particularly Midnapore and other Districts and they got only Rs.66 crore. This year, West Bengal Government sought an assistance of Rs.721 crore.

Government of Orissa sought, as far as I know, Rs.200 crore against which only Rs.50 crore have been sanctioned. Of the States affected by the cyclone, no doubt Orissa is the worst affected State. According to a preliminary survey report, 11 Districts in Orissa have been affected badly. Thousands of acres of paddy land in Orissa has been inundated due to the unprecedented rainfall. At least 100 people were killed in Ganjam District alone. Total devastation took place in Ganjam District. It is very difficult for the State Government to cope with such situations whether it is of Orissa or West Bengal or Bihar. Government of Orissa sought Rs.200 crore as assistance from the Central Government. However, in spite of the aerial survey made by the Prime Minister only Rs.50 crore have been sanctioned for the people of Orissa. Many Districts in Bihar are also badly affected by the floods. Several villages and towns are submerged in water. Government of Bihar sought Rs.1100 crore from the Central Government. However, so far as I know, not a single paisa has been sanctioned for Bihar Government so that they can cope with the situation.

Sir, I am very sorry to submit that the Government of India is taking a step-motherly attitude towards these States. They are providing not even a single paisa to the States of West Bengal or Bihar... (Interruptions)

SHRI BIKRAM DEO KESHARI (KALAHANDI): Sir, the hon. Member has mentioned about Orissa.

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY :I am not yielding.

MR. CHAIRMAN : Hon. Member, I will give a chance to you also. Please sit down now.

SHRI BIKRAM DEO KESHARI : Sir, he is saying that the Central Government has shown step-motherly attitude. It is completely wrong because the hon. Prime Minister had gone to Orissa... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: The Government will reply on this. Please take your seat.

... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, you also please sit down.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY : The Government of Orissa had got only Rs. 50 crore.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Shri Ajoy Chakraborty, please address the Chair.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY (BAPATLA): He has given Rs. 250 crore as plan assistance. There is not a single pie as grant given to the Government of Orissa... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please. The Government will answer everything.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY : Sir, I am sorry to say that the Governments of Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal are all standing on the same footing, they are all sailing in the same boat.

Sir, so far as I know, the Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh was also badly affected due to cyclonic storm whereby all the seeds and trees of coconut and cashew nut had been totally damaged. I know, the hon. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had made an aerial survey along with you, Mr. Chairman.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, Srikakulam is my parliamentary constituency.

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY Yes, Sir, your hon. Chief Minister visited the spot along with you and had sought Rs. 40 crore as assistance from the Centre. I do not know how many crores of rupees you have got. But I hope you may get it from the Central Government for some other reason. I need not go into that.

But it is a matter of regret that the State Governments of Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal have received not a single paisa from the Central Government. It is all because of the step-motherly treatment by the Centre.

So, I urge before the Central Government that they should give equal treatment to all the State Governments. All the States equally belong to the Government of India; the Union. It is the duty of the Central Government to come forward and render financial assistance to all the affected State Governments. They should help all the State Governments. All possible assistance should be rendered to the State Governments to combat with the situation to save the people from their plight.

Sir, I also urge upon the Government of India to come forward and take suitable steps to save the people from the clutches of natural calamities.

Sir, in this regard I would like to make some suggestions for the consideration of the concerned Ministry. Firstly, they should take steps to exempt the cultivators from the agricultural loan. Secondly, they should render financial assistance to the people affected in all the States so that they can reconstruct the demolished houses. Thirdly, house building grant should be given to the homeless and shelterless people of all the States to construct their houses.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please conclude now.

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY : Yes, Sir, I am concluding.

Fourthly, they should give financial assistance to the cultivators for the purchase of their cattles.

Lastly, I earnestly urge upon the Government of India to kindly engage their experts, scientists and technocrats to prevent these natural calamities because each and every year, we are witnessing these natural calamities.

I can cite 10 or 15 instances from different States, from Tamil Nadu to other States, which have taken place from the year, 1990. Every year we are witnessing natural calamities due to cyclonic storm and floods and other reasons.

So, I urge upon the Government of India to please engage your technocrats, experts and scientists so that they can prepare a plan to prevent natural calamities and save people from them.

It is very much more important task than nuclear weapon programme. To prevent natural calamities which are taking place in our country is more important than the preparation of nuclear weapons programme.

So, I urge upon the Government of India to come forward to give all possible financial assistance and save people from floods.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU (BERHAMPUR): Thank you for the opportunity given to me. I am referring to the holocaust that has ravaged the Eastern part of India on the 17th and 18th instant. I give a chronological detail so that the gravity of the situation can be properly appreciated by the hon. Members.

On the 17th of this month, the Assistant Meteorological Officer of Bhubaneswar gave a warning over the radio and the TV that there would be torrential rain accompanied by wind to the velocity of about 100 k.m. The warning was very innocuous in nature.

On the 17th morning round about 7 p.m. the Director, Meteorological Department, Government of India, gave a stern warning saying that the gale could be to the tune of about 200 k.m. an hour.

I must say with a heavy heart that the response of the State Government of Orissa was woefully inadequate.

SHRI K. P. SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): Are we going to discuss the conduct of the State Government in this House?

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : It is my observation.

SHRI K. P. SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): I require a ruling from the Chair.

MR. CHAIRMAN : No. The hon. Member is not discussing the conduct of the State Government of Orissa.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : It is a matter relating to the woeful inadequacy of the Government of Orissa. When I say woeful inadequacy of the Orissa Government about the natural calamities, I would like to give a graphic and first-hand description as to what had happened on the 18th morning as I reached the first point in Puri district. My friend is there in Puri district. My observation will be confined to part of Khurda district, part of Puri district, the whole of Ganjam district, the whole of Cuttack and part of Srikakulam area, your area, Mr. Chairman because they are all contiguous areas. Khallikote is the first point. The entire area was so full of trees which have faced the wrath of the cyclone. I immediately spotted the Forest Ranger of the area and requested him to help me in clearing the road, at least for the ambulances and light vehicles to take the wounded and the injured to Berhampur Medical College. He told me bluntly "It is not my duty." Why I say woefully inadequate is, there is a contingency plan in the State where natural calamities have been defined and the manner in which these calamities are to be met. I was the Superintendent of Police. That is why, I say as to what is to be done. The Superintendent of Police, the District Magistrate and the Collector of the district know as to what they have to do in case of disasters. The State Administration also knows as to what are the Charter of Duties they are supposed to take up in case of any calamity.

That was why I said that it was woefully inadequate, to start with.

Fortunately, for me, the DIG, who had gone away on leave was directed by his Director General of Police to come back. He met me on the way. I being a policeman and he being a policeman, naturally, we came together, we pooled people and we brought in volunteers and started clearing the road. The Junior Engineer of the PWD also came to my rescue. He brought in only three persons. I asked him to bring in 300 persons and he said that it was beyond his powers. I asked him where his SDO, PWD was and he said that he had gone on leave. I said, `You have had this warning for two days and your SDO has not come."""" Anyway, we started the clearing work and the people helped us. For twenty kilometres along the National Highways, we started clearing the road with the sole purpose of transporting the injured.

Some of you might have seen the Salt Bay of Humma on the National Highway No. 5. It is of a length of about ten kilometres and a breadth of about eight kilometres. There is a sea water channel which brings saline water to that Salt Bay for making salt and there are about 20 villages inside. The entire area was inundated by saline water. Human excreta, cow dung and bird droppings and carcass were floating there. For ten hours, the people there had not taken a drop of water because they had to drink the polluted water. If this is the adequacy of the State Government in providing the basic necessity of drinking water to the people who had been affected in that area, I have nothing to say and the hon. Member may object in whichever way he likes.

Sir, I reached Chhatrapur, the district headquarters of Ganjam around 6 p.m. I was travelling for about twelve hours from 6 a.m. in the morning. At Chhatrapur, no arrangement had been made for supply of food and relief materials to the affected people and the Collector was not there. The ADM was at his wit""""s end. I had to bring water and then support him because the angry mob had started abusing him and asking him to start relief work. Nothing could be done for about two hours. No polythene sheets were available; kerosene was not available; and electricity had totally failed and it could be seen that the 33 kv line poles had been twisted like thin green bamboo twisted by a child. Bodies were floating here and there. It was the swayamsevaks of Berhampur and the BJP activists of Berhampur city who retrieved the bodies of about 30 to 40 young children who had been killed in the holocast.

Here, I must say that those who are concerned with the Builders of Houses should give a thought as to how the storm drain water should flow from reservors. There are two satellite town areas in Berhampur which had been submerged for about three days and the people had no water to drink and no food to eat. It was the volunteers who volunteered to go with ropes and give them water after three days. The medical team also had not been formed and none had gone to that area. I had to travel about 25 kilometres from Chhatrapur to Berhampur by scooter through the uprooted and tangled trees and the slush paddy fields and everywhere there were wailing crowds and nothing could be done. Anyway, that is what has happened.

When you go along the coast, Mr. Chairman, Sir, you will find the betelvines. A betelvine takes three to four years to grow; a betel not grove takes ten years to grow. A coconut grove takes ten to fifteen years depending on the productive abilities. The whole area had been ravaged as if nature had been very very unkind to those people and cash crops. The betelvines, the betel nut groves, the coconut groves, the banana plantations kewda bushes mand everything had been swept off the ground.

Sir, this is the flowering season for the paddy fields. The paddies flower at this time. If there is a strong wind, it creates problems for the paddy plant and the flowering will not take place. Thousands of acres of paddy field have been submerged in water.

Then, another difficulty is that we give warning about the wind velocity but we do not give warning about the surge of water in the Chilka or in the Sea.

Surge of water takes place when there is wind velocity of say 100 km. or 150 km. or 200 km. per hour. So, the water level rises. It may rise from five feet to ten feet and it inundates paddy fields. Saline content in paddy fields is very dangerous and injurious for paddy fields for three to four years. Thousands of acres of paddy lands - right from Tangi block of Khurdha district to Chilka block the entire area of Ganjam and Gajapathi district and Sompeta segment of Srikakulam district - have been completely inundated with saline water. It takes time. Immediate steps should have been taken by the State Government itself for pumping out saline water from that area so that the damage could have been minimised. Till yesterday, electricity had not been restored in all those areas. The tangled wires, tangled poles have not been removed.

With much difficulty, on the third day, hon. Ministers Shri Juel Oram and Shri Debendra Pradhan could make an aerial survey of the area because the air strip at Gopallpur was so slushy that they could not land there. Immediately the matter was brought to the notice of the hon. Prime Minister and the hon. Prime Minister made an aerial survey. So, whatever Shri Chakraborty said is not correct factually.

The hon. Prime Minister has decided two things. He has given Rs.250 crore of which Rs.200 crore for running the administration itself in Orissa. The Orissa administration is in the red. There is no financial regularity; there is only irregularity. The Orissa Government has been borrowing money to the tune of about Rs.15,000 crore. They have to pay interest; they have to pay salary for the Govy. servants and they have to pay so many other things also. So, an amount of Rs.400 crore is the monthly requirement of Orissa Government. But they are able to get only Rs.380 crore. So, whenever they get some amount as aid or interim relief or by any other manner possible from the Central Government, they divert it to run the administration. An amount of Rs.25 crore had been given last year from the Calamity Relief Fund for meeting damages due to natural calamities. I am sorry to say that that money had been diverted for routine day-to-day work of the State Government.

There are a number of Ministers in that State and they are taking fat salaries. They have increased salaries of IAS Officers by promoting them, giving them super-time scale or superior administrative cadre posts and so many other things. Lakhs of rupees are being spent in this way.

Sir, please give me some more time. I will come to all other things. This is a matter which should be known to all.

MR. CHAIRMAN : The time allotted for this subject is only two hours.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : That is true. But I am the most affected victim of the holocaust. So, I may be given some more time.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please take the time factor into consideration.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : The Prime Minister, by a condescending attitude and a benevolent attitude gave Rs.200 crore to run the Government. When I objected to it, he asked, "Unless the Government runs, how can you have aid or relief?" Thus, he gave Rs.50 crore for relief.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY (NARASARAOPET): Why have you objected?

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : I objected because he need not give money for running the Government.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : It is only a Plan advance which he has given.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : That is true. But that could have been given later. I do not want to argue with you.

What I would like to say is that the Prime Minister has said that diffeerent Departments of Government of India could be sending their officers; for an on the spot assessment and whatever money is required, that would be given. But my honest opinion is that money should not be given direct to the State Government. Now, I request the Central Govt. to invoke Article 360 of the Constitution of India and take away the financial powers for two months.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI (RAIGANJ): The Presidential Address has mentioned about the policy of the Cabinet, that they would give more powers to the States and more decentralisation. But you are taking just the opposite view.

SHRI ANADICHARAN SAHU : I say that for two months let the financial powers of that State be taken over and all the work relating to aid, relief and all those things may be handled by the Central Government. There is a provision under article 360 of the Constitution. It may or may not be taken up.

Since you are not giving me much time, Sir, now I would come to another most important matter. Onion plants have been destroyed; cabbage has been destroyed, coconuts have been destroyed. Coconuts are available for 50 paise in Sompeta and Gopalpur areas. Chairman, Sir, you must be knowing about it. There was so much damage. Tractors are being used for selling coconuts at 50 paise per piece. That is the difficulty with the people.

What I would suggest is that the Central Government may set up a mechanism to indicate the storm surge on the coastal areas both on east and on west. Storm surges in the sea would be more required than knowing the wind velocity. What do the fishermen who have been living on the shore strip of land do? Even this time I saw that they tie stones and bricks to their waist and lie down till the storm passes.

But the palm fronds, thatches, corrugated sheets and asbestos sheets cannot withstand all these high velosity winds. I would suggest that storm surge mechanism should be thought of immediately by the Government of India and cyclone shelters should be constructed at least at a distance of every five kilometres along the east coast where hurricane is a natural and continuous phenomena for centuries. In my area we are producing fifty thousand tonnes of salt every year. Now, because of this holocaust we would not be able to produce even a single tonne of salt. Since salt is being controlled by the Central Government, I would suggest to the Central Government to think of some measures like salt bay protection mechanism.

Next, I would like to take up water channels. The saline water channel which is coming from the sea has to be devised in such a manner that whenever there is storm, hurricane etc., extra water does not come into the paddy fields and in that way people can be relieved of the burden of drinking saline water. Most important point is that the Relief Code should be changed. The Relief Code was first started nearly one hundred years ago, sometimes in 1860 or 1870. This is hopelessly inadequate. Now in the democratic set-up we must give some sort of a discretion or power to the elected representatives to say as to what should be done and what should not be done because they know what is required in a particular area. I am not saying that one should take away the administrative powers of the State Government or the administrators who are there. If the Relief Code is changed, everybody can pool together his mind and decide in what manner they can do their work. In this particular case, for five days, not even a litre of kerosene was supplied to anyone and the cities were plunged into darkness. I requested the Chief Minister to kindly bring some standby generators from the public sector undertakings and put them in the Notified Area Councils where there is no alternate system of supplying drinking water. For five days drinking water was not supplied to the people in those area. That is why I say it was woefully inadequate. For these things some sort of a mechanism should be thought of by the State Government. If we amend the Relief Code, I think, we would be able to store up as many articles to meet the ravages of nature which are periodically visiting us and creating problems for us.

SHRI K. P. SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): Sir, with a heavy heart I once again rise to speak on the ravages of natural calamities in West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. ... (Interruptions) Ever since I entered this House for the first time in 1967, in the past 32 years, we have discussed and debated the question of drought, flood and cyclone for nearly 20 times. It was discussed in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1998. Again we are discussing it this year, that is in 1999. The worst ever cyclone took place in the coast of Orissa in the year 1967 affecting millions of people. In 1977 worst kind of cyclone took place in Andhra Pradesh, when my good friend, Shri Janardhan Reddy, was the Rehabilitation Minister. In 1997-98, Andhra Pradesh Government took some permanent measures. In 1967 we found everything woefully inadequate, as my friend Shri Anadi Charan Sahu graphically and eloquently mentioned.

In fact, I agree with many of his points. No State Government, whether it is Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal or Orissa can tackle a situation like this where the severity is of a rare variety, the intensity and magnitude is beyond comprehension and explanation. It paralyses the entire economy. These are not my words. These are the words of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture has just sent a message to the Government of Orissa. Information at 2100 hours on 27.10.99, that is yesterday, indicates that the severe cyclonic storm in Bay of Bengal has developed into a very severe cyclonic storm. The likelihood of the storm is three to five metres high and above astronomical tide level. There is a Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, NDM Section, Krishi Bhavan, which has given information dated 27th October, that the VSCS - that is the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm - is centred around about 550 Km. Southeast of Paradeep and is moving in the North-Northwestarly direction. Immediately after the severe cyclones of 17th and 18th, which we are discussing, another cyclone is heading towards the coast of Orissa and Bengal and, therefore, it is with all seriousness that we must discuss this problem. The devastation, the destruction which has already taken place in Orissa has damaged, devastated, destroyed everything; life, limb, liberty, housing, shelters as has been said, the standing crops ready for harvesting, roads including National Highways, electrical transmission stations, factories, schools, colleges, workshops and have polluted even the rivers including the wells, that is the drinking water supply. Therefore, we require repair, restoration and reconstruction and a chance to live again.

A State Government like Orissa has been facing these vagaries from 1964-65 when the then Prime Minister Shrimati Indira Gandhi had to visit the famine areas of Kalahandi where starvation awaited the people of Kalahandi. From that day onwards, we have been having visits of Prime Ministers from Shrimati Indira Gandhi up to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Every single Prime Minister has had to visit Orissa either due to flood, drought or cyclone. So, the constant companion of Orissa over the last three-and-a-half decades has been only natural calamities. We have a population of which 22 per cent are tribals, 19 per cent are the Scheduled Castes and the people living below the Poverty Line is 58 per cent. This is not quoted by me but by Prof. Lakadawala of the Planning Commission. That means the non-Scheduled Castes and non-tribals are 17 per cent. The tax mobilisation, the devolution of funds to Orissa for the last 35 years is at the rock bottom. So, we cannot help the State unless Orissa is given some special assistance.

The Government has not yet been able to declare Orissa a Special Status State as is the case of the Schedule VI States of the Northeastern sector, Himachal or even the Uttranchal and Vidharbha. So, the Government must give a special assistance - added and accelerated assistance - to Orissa. This is a State Government which is on the red, as quoted by Shri Sahu. Not a singly penny out of Rs.250 crore which the Prime Minister has announced, has arrived. It is an Advanced Plan Assistance which we should have got in January, 2000 but we are getting in October or November, 1999. So, there is no favour. A number of other Prime Ministers before Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have announced anything between Rs.50 crore and Rs.500 crore but not a single penny has arrived. What the Government has announced is the Advanced Plan Assistance.

Sir, I will just quote from the Ministry of Agriculture again ... (Interruptions). It is an advance payment. You are a former Chief Minister, you know that. Sir, because of the spate of disasters which befell the country, Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao set up a National Disaster Management Programme in 1993-94 where all the State Governments were consulted, a number of seminars and discussions were held. Sir, many discussions took place in your own State of Hyderabad. This is from the 1998 Annual Report of the Ministry of Agriculture of this very Government. I quote:

"Central Government response:

Under the existing scheme of financial relief expenditure, the State Governments are required to take necessary rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures from the allocation under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF). A total allocation of Rs.1328.15 crore has been made to the States during 1998-99 under CRF which includes Central share of Rs.996.11 crore and States"""" share of Rs.332.4 crore. The entire Central share has been released to all the States. Advance release of quarterly instalments of Centre""""s share of CRF were made to a number of States to speed up the relief work. In addition to CRF, assistance is provided to the States from the National Fund for Calamity Relief for calamities of rare severity. Twenty-two memoranda have so far been received."

So, it is not a favour. Not a single paisa is granted from the Centre as a grant. It is an Advance Plan Assistance to which my friends are referring to as Rs.50 crore, Rs.150 crore and Rs.250 crore... (Interruptions). I did not interrupt you Shri Sahu. You had been in the State Administration. You know it much better than me. I had not been in the State Administration. You were an Inspector-General of Police there and a very good one at that. We are all proud of you. Sir, he is also the President of our Sahitya Samaj. So, he is very eloquent and a literary person... (Interruptions).

Sir, last year apart from these four States of Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh natural calamities caused damage worth 89 billion dollars in 1998 as per The Economic Times, New Delhi. Therefore, the national disaster management has been thought of by the Central Government at that time by Shri Narasimha Rao. Parliament had been debating it for 22 times in as many years. Therefore, this calamity must be termed as a national calamity. I would also like to quote my old friend who is now an MLA from Kerala. He was also a very honoured Member of the Lok Sabha. He is Shri C.K. Chandrappa from the Communist Party of India. He had raised the issue in 1977 immediately after the cyclone. He cited the example of China and Tashkent. Tashkent was devastated by earthquake and millions of people died, but within one year they could reconstruct the place because the Soviet Government then forced all the 17 Republics of Soviet Union to contribute. China even took outside help to tide over the difficulties caused by earthquake. So, I would like to appeal to the Government in this regard. I am happy that there are two-three Ministers present. But usually the Minister of Agriculture used to be present. But today the Finance Minister was also present. This is not only a natural calamity but this is a national calamity.

16.00 hrs. It requires a national effort. Only this afternoon we were paying tributes to our brave Jawans who have laid down their lives for the security of the country. We have been making a national appeal for their rehabilitation and for their kith and kin. Therefore, national calamity and natural calamity should also call for a national effort and should not be left to the States alone which are deeply impoverished. So, for 32 years Orissa which has been beset with drought, cyclone and flood has really its backbone of the economic structure broken. It is not today or it was not yesterday. It is a continuous collateral damage which has been done to Orissa. Therefore, unless Orissa gets special assistance, it cannot recover.

Today Gopalpur Port is in a shambles. The Gopalpur Port could be rebuilt by assistance from the Centre. I refer to Gopalpur-Talcher railway line. I remember in 1967, as a result of the discussion here, the Paradeep-Cuttack railway line was linked up by funds given by the Centre. Such type of things can be done to tide over the difficulty because relief and rehabilitation is not sufficient. They have to carry on living. There are school children who have lost their books. They have lost their schools and colleges. As has been rightly said, farmers have lost their entire livelihood. Sand-casting, salinity have to be restored. The sand-casting has to be removed. You are an agriculturist yourself Sir, so you will recall this. The Chief Minister of Orissa and the Government of Orissa are manfully trying to tackle the situation. But it is not adequate.

As has been said earlier, the entire national highway, roads, bridges, culverts, all have been washed away. Fishing vessels have been found on top of trees. Government jeeps and other vehicles have been swept away from the coastal to the interior areas. Cyclone has even affected central districts like mine in Dhenkanal and Angul where although no people have died, roads, culverts and bridges have been washed away because of incessant rainfall and floods. So, this is our woe betide. Excessive rainfall, cyclone and drought, all three of them come together every year. The meagre resources of Orissa has been depleted and therefore accelerated and focussed attention on Orissa should be given, like you are giving to the Tribal Development Blocks. A special sub-plan has to be made here. If you cannot give us the special status because of constitutional impediments, at least the Parliament, the Government can have a special assistance programme for Orissa which is a chronically drought affected, chronically flood affected and chronically cyclone affected State along with West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. So, you are also in the same boat as us, Sir. Therefore, a special programme is necessary by the Planning Commission and the Government.

This sort of a disaster today is the concern of all the countries, not only India. Today only, a news item has come out: "Project to study storm surge in Indian Ocean" and they are going to spend 54 million dollars for this programme where countries like India, Bangladesh, Iran, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all concerned because they are also victims like Bangladesh along with us is a victim. Therefore, this is a national cause. It cannot be left to a State. We must help out the State Government. More State Governments are in the red. They are borrowing money from the Reserve Bank of India whether for paying salaries or for paying their ways and means position. Every Pay Commission has been hiking the pay of Government servants. Therefore, no State Government can match the resources of the Central Government. Unless the Central Government comes in a big way, people are going to suffer. Apart from the shock they have received, another cyclone is coming. I do not know which other districts are going to be hit. At the moment nine districts are affected and the State Government does not have resources to tide over the difficulties.

DR. MANDA JAGANNATH (NAGARKURNOOL): Respected Chairman Sir, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to participate in the discussion on natural calamities that have affected the States of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and parts of Bihar.

Though the Meteorological Department of India had predicted a normal south-west monsoon in the country, it has miserably failed and drought has hit the State of Andhra Pradesh. In Rayalaseema and Telangana particularly, the crops got damaged and there is no fodder for the cattle also. At this juncture, as soon as the State Government sensed the failure of the monsoon, our Chief Minister started taking drought combating measures by reviewing the situation and also by sending a memorandum to the Government of India. He himself visited the districts which have been affected by drought.

He deputed the parliamentary party under your leadership to meet the Prime Minister and urge him to send a Central team to assess the situation on the spot. Ever since we sensed this calamity, our Chief Minister has started taking measures and sent a request to the Central Government. But without waiting for the response, the State Government had started taking measures. A sum of Rs.30 crores has been released for augmentation of drinking water supply in rural and urban areas. Under Agriculture Contingency Fund, a sum of Rs. 5 crores had already been released for supply of seeds to small and marginal farmers at 50 per cent subsidy. A sum of Rs.2.41 crore had been released for supply of fodder seed under Contingency Plan for Fodder Development in the scanty areas. Action had also been initiated for Employment Generation Programme under JJSY, EAS, Watershed Development Programme, etc. with the available funds to prevent migration of labour. Apart from this, on the 17th of this month, as a perennial visitor coming every year, a cyclone storm hit Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh alongwith Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar. That cost us to the tune of Rs.200 crore wherein coconut and other plantations were damaged. Electronic fittings and telephone communication system were damaged. Apart from sending a report, we have initiated steps to combat both cyclone and drought. Our Chief Minister had alerted district collectors of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam and also asked the officials of the districts and elected representatives to be available to the people.

Under these circumstances, I urge upon the Central Government to come in a big way as we have already taken many measures without waiting for the Central assistance. Under the circumstances which I explained, the State Government needs funds sector-wise. For agriculture, it needs Rs.212 crore, for drinking water, it needs Rs.302 crore, for employment generation, it needs Rs.110.69 crore, for health sector, it needs Rs.1.22, for special nutrition programme, it needs Rs.28 crore and for animal husbandry sector, it needs Rs.65.50 crore. In addition to this State, the devastation is much more in West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. As our hon. friend has said, it is difficult for the State Governments to come forward and give relief to the victims as the States"""" finances are very limited. Hence, I request the Central Government to come in a big way formulating a National Calamity Funding Programme to help the States.

श्री सुकदेव पासवान (अररिया) : माननीय सभापति महोदय, आज हम प्राकृतिक आपदा पर चर्चा कर रहे हैं। जो बिहार, उड़ीसा, पश्िचम बंगाल और आन्ध्र प्रदेश में अभी कुछ दिन पूर्व तूफान आया, साइकलोन आया, इससे ये राज्य बुरी तरह प्रभावित हुए हैं। इन चार राज्यों में और खास करके मैं बताना चाहूंगा कि उत्तरी बिहार में तो इस ढंग से तूफान आया, वर्षा हुई कि लगी हुई धान की फसल के ऊपर से २-३ फुट पानी बह रहा था, उससे बिहार में धान की लाखों हैकटेयर फसल बर्बाद हुई है। धान ही नहीं केले की भी काफी खेती हमारे यहां होती है। केले की खेती में बहुत पूंजी लगती है, मेहनत लगती है। केले की भी लाखों हैकटेयर फसल हमारे यहां बर्बाद हो गई। आलू की खेती के लिए भी अधिकांश किसानों ने बीज तैयार किया था। कुछ खेती भी कर चुके थे और कुछ करने वाले थे, उन सबकी आलू की फसल बर्बाद हो गई। हम लोगों का गरीब और शोषित इलाका है। वहां खेतिहर मजदूर हैं, जो कमाकर खाने वाले हैं और ज्यादातर कच्चे मकानों में रहते हैं। इस भीषण वर्षा और तूफान से उन लोगों के अधिकांश मकान गिर गए हैं। आम के पेड़, नारियल के पेड़ और अन्य पेड़ जो वहां लगे थे, अन्य फसलों के साथ बर्बाद हो गए हैं। इस नुकसान का सही आकलन करने के लिए अभी तक केन्द्र सरकार की तरफ से कोई टीम बिहार में नहीं भेजी गई है, यह दुखद बात है। वहां पककी सड़कें, बांध, पुल और पुलिया इस भीषण बारिश और तूफान के कारण बर्बाद हो गई हैं। बिजली और टेलीफोन की तो बात ही कया करें, टेलीफोन कनेकशन कई सप्ताहों तक कटे हुए हैं। श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह (महाराजगंज): बिहार सरकार कया कर रही है? श्री सुकदेव पासवान : आपके प्रधान मंत्री जी उड़ीसा जा सकते हैं, लेकिन बिहार नहीं गए। बिहार के साथ केन्द्र सरकार का हमेशा से सौतेला व्यवहार रहा है, जबकि हम ऐसी उम्मीद नहीं रखते। अभी हाल ही में हुए लोक सभा के चुनावों में हमने देखा कि धान की खड़ी फसल से दो-तीन फीट ऊपर पानी बह रहा है। हिन्दुस्तान में बिहार ही ऐसा प्रदेश है जहां पिछले लोक सभा चुनावों के समय इस भीषण बारिश और तूफान से चार संसदीय क्षेत्रों का चुनाव स्थगित करना पड़ा था। आज उन चार क्षेत्रों में मतदान हो रहा है। लेकिन केन्द्र सरकार ने वहां की स्िथति का जायजा लेने के लिए कोई कदम नहीं उठाया है। वहां पशुओं के लिए चारे की कोई व्यवस्था नहीं है। इस कारण सैंकड़ों पशु मर गए हैं। आजादी के बाद से हम लोग लगातार बिहार के बारे में संसद में और बाहर चर्चा करते रहे हैं कि किसानों की फसल का बीमा किया जाए, लेकिन उस पर कोई अमल नहीं हुआ। केन्द्र सरकार किसानों के प्रति सिर्फ सहानुभूति रखती है, कोई ठोस कदम नहीं उठाती। देश को आजाद हुए ५२ साल हो गए हैं, लेकिन किसान को जो राहत मिलनी चाहिए, केन्द्र सरकार की तरफ से वह नहीं मिल पा रही है। हमारा मत है कि फसल बीमा योजना नश्िचत रूप से लागू होनी चाहिए और इसके लिए आवश्यक फंड की व्यवस्था आप करें। जिससे किसानों की फसल बर्बाद हो तो उन्हें अविलम्ब उसकी क्षतिपूर्ित मिल सके। उत्तरी बिहार में नदी-नालों, तालाब और पोखरों में कई लोग मछलीपालन का व्यवसाय करते हैं। भारी वर्षा से उन तालाब और पोखरों की मछलियां बह गईं। इस कारण मछली का व्यवसाय करने वालों के ऊपर बैंकों और व्यकितगत ऋणों का जो भार है, उससे उनकी स्िथति बदतर हो गई है। बैंकों द्वारा जो कृषि ऋण दिया जाता है या मालगुजारी है, प्राकृतिक आपदा के चलते वहां के गरीब किसान उसे नहीं दे पा रहे हैं, जबकि वहां के अधिकारी इसकी वसूली के लिए मलिटरी लेकर जाते हैं। मेरा अनुरोध है कि बिहार के चार राज्यों में जो प्राकृतिक आपदा से लोग परेशान हैं, उनके ऊपर चढ़े ऋणों की वसूली के लिए अविलम्ब रोक लगाई जाए। किसानों से किसी भी प्रकार के ऋण की वसूली इन चार राज्यों में नहीं होनी चाहिए। इसको माफ किया जाना चाहिए। बिहार सरकार की वित्तीय स्िथति ठीक नहीं है। इसलिए मैं भारत सरकार के आग्रह करना चाहता हूं कि राहत कोष में से कम से कम एक हजार करोड़ रुपए दिया जाए, ताकि बाढ़ और तूफान से प्रभावित क्षेत्रों का विकास हो सके। इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ, आपने बोलने के लिए जो मुझे समय दिया, उसके लिए मैं आपको धन्यवाद देता हूं।

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY (NARASARAOPET): Mr. Chairman, Sir, with a heavy heart I rise to speak on the heavy ravages of floods inflicted upon the people of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. When such a natural calamity occurs, we have got very little to do. We cannot prevent its occurrence. But the extent of the damage can only be minimised with experience, professionalism, enterprise and voluntary effort of the kind that the hon. Member, who spoke earlier, - I do not know his name - has mentioned. In a situation like this, we should keep our politics away and help the poor victims. Whenever a natural calamity occurs, it is the poor man who suffers and it is the man who lives in the hut who suffers much. So, we have to remember that aspect and keep our politics away from it.

Sir, whenever such a natural calamity occurs, I have always observed that things happen in a ritualistic manner. The Prime Minister or some other Ministers go in a helicopter and in an aeroplane, do the aerial survey, land at some airport, announce some Central assistance to the State concerned depending upon the nature of the calamity, come back and discuss about in Parliament under rule 193 and forget about it. It has become the order of the day. The point is not whether the Chief Minister of Orissa has undertaken proper relief measures or the Chief Minister of Bihar has undertaken proper relief measures or not, but the point is that there is a role to be played by the Government of India and one has to own the responsibility.

Sir, on the 16th October, the first warning has been received by the Government of Orissa and on the 17th October, the second warning has been received. Under such circumstances, there is a laid down plan in every State as the former Police Officer has rightly mentioned since he knows about the administration - as to which officer has to go to which place and stand by the directions of the District Collector etc. Accordingly, the State Government has evacuated 25,000 people - it is not a small number - to safer places and a lot of area was vacated. As a matter of fact, the Leader of the Opposition, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi visited the affected places, met the suffering people and moved by their condition, she has requested the Government of India to treat this as a national calamity of rare severity.

One can understand if we go to the affected people and see their problems. It appears that he has done his best. He has supplied kerosene oil, candles, polythene and rice. He has supplied `kuda"""". He has done so many things. That is what a State Government can do. Voluntary efforts have to come. They have to do something. Usually, they will be doing it. This is only the rescue part and the relief part. What about the restoration part? The restoration is mainly sharing between the Central and the State Governments. The learned Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Shri Satyanarayana Rao, who is now perhaps looking after cyclones and other things, has been a Chairman of the Zila Parishad of one of the important districts. He knows the sufferings of the people in the East Godavari district whenever a cyclone comes. He has himself been a victim. Shri Satyanarayan Rao will not look into all these things from a political angle. He will rise above such a situation and help the people of Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

SHRI RAGHUNATH JHA (GOPALGANJ): Why not Bihar?

SHRI N. JANARDHAN REDDY : Yes, Bihar also. Sorry, I have forgotten it. I have not seen you.

Now, the main thing was that Shri Singhdeo had mentioned that there was an Institute, called the National Centre for Disaster Management started by the Government of India when Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao was the Chief Minister. It is not at all in existence. They have seminars in Hyderabad and other places. I do not think that they have ever visited any cyclone-affected area and done any research study about the ravages of Bay of Bengal.

If you look into the history for the last about hundred years, that is, from 1891 to 1990, there were 383 cyclones in Bay of Bengal. Out of 383 cyclones, 220 have crossed the land and caused the damage. Out of 220, the share of Nellore district is 30. The districtwise shares of Krishna and Guntur districts are 22 and 15, respectively. I am telling it because it has got a very bad history. The ravages of the cyclone in Bay of Bengal are tremendous. The oldest and the worst cyclone recorded was in 1737 which had hit Calcutta. The death toll was 3,00,000. The next worst hit was Andhra Pradesh on 14th November, 1977. Ten thousand people died. The total loss was worth Rs. 22,000 crore. Since then, the Central and the State Governments have worked in a direction to help the situation. We have laid down a certain action plan to minimise the deaths right from 1977. The then Minister of External Affairs in the Government of the then Prime Minister, Shri Morarji Desai, and at present the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, visited the affected areas in 1977 when the present Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri C. Vidya Sagar Rao, was a volunteer in constructing a colony. From then onwards, we have been requesting to have a National Institute for Disaster Management. Nothing had happened except that an academic institution was developed by Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao. That is why this time our Congress Party has introduced an item in its Manifesto. It reads like this:

"The Congress will initiate steps to prepare a National Disaster Management Plan for the different vulnerable regions of the country. This will be a detailed operational plan of action at the national, State and local levels and will continuously be upgraded. The Congress will also enact National Disaster Management legislation laying down the powers, and functions of different agencies entrusted with disaster management responsibilities. The legislation would specify the mandatory operating procedures to be enforced during normal and disaster situations. An independent Multi-disciplinary National Disaster Management Agency armed with adequate powers and resources will be established. A National Mitigation Fund with Rs.500 crore as corpus will be set up to support all activities of national and State levels to implement long term measures which will mitigate disasters. The fund will be administered through a legal corporate body."

I only request not to go on thinking that this is a Congress Manifesto. We have introduced this and I request the hon. Minister to go through this and think about it as a national need and not as a suggestion in the Congress Manifesto. After all, Satyanarayan Rao Garu is also a Gandhian. So he can think about it and send it to the hon. Minister to consider this aspect. That is the only solution.

I do agree, in Andhra Pradesh, Srikakulam is affected by cyclone very badly. Sir, it is your district and similarly 246 mandals were affected by bad drought situation. Just because TDP Government is there, I cannot say that we should not help. We should help. The Government of India should come forward to help the needy. As is rightly earlier said, it is the poor man who suffers whenever the natural calamity occurs. There, we should not look into parties. We should not politicalise. I saw in newspapers, BJD leader and Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik crticising at Bhubaneswar, on the inaction of the State Government.

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB (CUTTACK): Inaction is a fact.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : Maybe certain inactions. In all disasters you cannot expect everyone to run like this. There will be some defects.

SHRI BRAJA KISHORE TRIPATHY (PURI): We have not crticised you, but we wanted to draw the attention of the Government towards the inadequacies... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN : Please do not argue with each other.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : What I am saying is that there may be inadequacies. I do agree, but this is not a situation to exploit political mileage out of it. It is time for all of us to join hands to help the poor ... (Interruptions) Shri Venkateswarlu was telling me that we have criticised the State Government. Why? Because a Minister there stored rice... (Interruptions)

PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU (TENALI): The Congress is known for its abuses of all political situations in Andhra Pradesh. There is no doubt about it. Now, the hon. elder Member is trying to accuse the hon. State Government of Andhra Pradesh... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : I am not accusing.

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : It is really unfair. That situation should not be politicised...(Interruptions) It is unfair.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : I never criticised the Andhra Pradesh Government. I even supported it. I only said, `when he mentioned that I have criticised, yes, we have criticised those days when some rice was kept in a Minister""""s house""""... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: This is not the subject here.

PROF.UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : It has been disproved beyond doubt. There was no such incident that had happened. It was only politically motivated statement by the Congress people, which was disproved... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : Hon. Member, Shri Venkateswarlu was in the Government of India then. Does he know the statement of the Chief Minister over that? ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: No, please confine to the subject.

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : I had followed that statement. Rice which was collected was stored somewhere. It was sold and the amount was remitted... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : How can you sell rice given for charity and make money? That is what I was telling. He has confirmed what I have said. ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN : Please confine yourself to the present situation of drought and cyclone.

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : Sir, he himself has said that we had criticised you. We had criticised you when a fault was committed by the Government. But when there was a lapse, we have ... (Interruptions)

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Probably it was not audible to the hon. Member. I said with reference to Orissa. ... (Interruptions) I pointed out about the Leaders"""" version that the Chief Minister has not adequately reacted on the situation. He said that he wants to be above politics but he is trying to politicise the issue. ... (Interruptions) I only reminded him that in the Kargil issue, the Congress Party is trying to get a political mileage. I wanted to remind them. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : I want to remind my hon. friend, who was telling about betelvine. During the cyclone, it is always the betelvine, which is very vulnerable and it gets affected. It cost us very heavily. It is in our State. We give compensation for betelvine. In spite of it, there is a heavy loss.

You are mentioning about salt water for the paddy crop. Even if the paddy crop is inundated for one day in salt water, it gets affected.

Anyway, our sympathies are with Orissa and other three States, where these devastations have taken place. Let the Government of India open its eyes, have an institution, a National Institute for Disaster Management located in one of the coastal areas or in any other part of the country with all the necessary equipment.

Whenever there is a flood, for taking the ration to a village where road or any other portable mode is not there, we have to summon the boats from Vishakapatnam Naval Command. They do come but by the time they come, there will be no waterlogging. Even if there is a low level water and you want to use the boats, you will have to take the permission from the Naval Command. So, in order to meet all these things, the then State Government in 1977 itself, thought of providing all the equipment. My friend was telling that it was not possible for him to go by road from morning six o"""" clock to evening five o"""" clock. It does happen. In 1979, in Andhra Pradesh for three days, an eight-kilometre patch of road was blocked and we brought electric saws and cut it with the help of the military personnel. These are the equipment to be preserved. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI ANADI SAHU : If you have the Contingency Plan, you can continue with that. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY : The Contingency Plan is already there. It is not a new thing. Since 1977, it is there in the country, particularly in some coastal belts.

What I want to tell the Government is that most of the people does not experience these problems. That is why, whenever there is a talk of Central team, we draw an officer each from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Railways, and the Ministry of Surface Transport and send them. Most of them do not know what is the effect of the cyclone. So, they do come and give a report. That is the end of the whole issue.

There should be a permanent machinery, permanent cell to look after these kind of damages. Unless we do something on a permanent nature, we cannot meet these disasters, particularly in the coastal areas which are wedded with Bay of Bengal.

Sir, I do not want to take the time of the House. I only want to point out that unless the National Democratic Alliance looks after these disasters, they will become a National Disaster Alliance.

Thank you.

श्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी (छपरा) : सभापति महोदय, मुझे इस सदन में दूसरी बार आने का मौका मिला है। उसके पहले मुझे बिहार में विधायक रहने का सौभाग्य प्राप्त हुआ है। मैं जब यहां पहुंचा था तो मुझे ऐसा महसूस हुआ कि लोकसभा के इस फोरम में किसी विषय पर बात कर उसके महत्व को बढ़ाने का मौका मिलेगा । जब श्री के.पी.सिंहदेव अपनी बात रख रहे थे और कहा कि उन्होंने इस विषय की ओर सरकार का ध्यान बीस बार आकर्िषत किया है, जब वे सरकार में रहे होंगे या जब वे सरकार से बाहर रहे होंगे। उन्होने अपने संसदीय जीवनकाल में इस विषय को बीस बार उठाया था। मुझे इस विषय को उठाने का पांचवीं बार मौका मिल रहा है कयोंकि यह बिहार से जुड़ा हुआ विषय है। मैं इस मुद्दे को बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण समझता हूं और इसे सदन और आपके समक्ष रखना चाहता हूं। सभापति महोदय, माननीय सदस्य इस विषय को राज्य-केन्द्र के संबंध जोड़कर अपनी बात रख रहे हैं और मैं बार-बार कहकर किसी पर आरोप-प्रत्यारोप नहीं लगाना चाह रहा हूं। सभापति महोदय, मैं पूछना चाहता हूं कि यह देश पिछले २० वषर्ों से किस प्रकार ऐसी प्राकृतिक आपदाओं से प्रभावित रहा है और किस प्रकार हम लोगों ने राजनीति के क़म में इसे तोड़-मरोड़कर राजनैतिक दृष्िटकोण से इसकी पूरी-पूरी परिभाषा की है। प्राकृतिक आपदाओं के बारे में हम लोग चर्चा करते हैं, जिन्हें हम प्रीवेंट नहीं कर सकते। जो प्रकृति से प्रभावित होते हैं, उसके लिये आप निरोधात्मक कार्य कर सकते हैं। इन प्राकृतिक आपदाओं में भूकंप, साइकलोन आदि हैं। यदि हम इन विपदाओं को रोकना भी चाहें तो नहीं रोक सकते। सिर्फ इसमें निरोधात्मक कार्यवाही की जा सकती है। इसलिये जब यहां चर्चा में उड़ीसा की बात हो रही थी या उसके पहले आन्ध्र प्रदेश में साइकलोन की बात हो रही थी तो नश्िचत तौर पर उसके सामने प्रबंधन का प्रस्ताव आता है। जब इस प्रकार की गतवधि हो तो इसमें किस प्रकार से प्रबंधन किया जाये ताकि लोगों को जो पीड़ा सहनी पड़ती है या इसमें राज्य सरकार या केन्द्र सरकार की कया भूमिका हो जिससे हम सक़ियता से उस परस्िथति से उबर सकते हों। इसमें दो प्रकार की परस्िथतियां ऐसी हैं जिनमें नश्िचत तौर पर निरोधात्मक कार्यवाही की जा सकती है। सभापति महोदय, मैं पिछली बार १९९६ में जब बाढ़ और अकाल की स्िथति पर इस सदन में चर्चा के लिये खड़ा हुआ, उस समय बोलंगीर और कालाहांडी में अकाल का प्रकोप था और आज जब इस चर्चा को उठा रहे हैं तो साइकलोन की स्िथति है और दूसरी तरफ बिहार जैसे प्रान्त में बाढ़ का प्रकोप है। यदि आप इन दोनों मुद्दों को जोड़कर देखेंगे तो इन इन दोनों का विश्लेषण अलग-अलग रूप से किया जाना चाहिये। वस्तुस्िथति यह है कि आज हम साइकलोन के संदर्भ में बात कर रहे हैं। जिस पीड़ा के साथ अपने क्षेत्र के बारे में श्री साहू जी और श्री पी.के.सिंहदेव कह रहे थे, नश्िचत तौर पर वह चिन्ता का विषय है। श्री जनार्दन रेड्डी पहले मुख्यमंत्री रहे हैं, उनको अनुभव भी रहा है। लेकिन मूल प्रश्न यह आता है कि इन दोनों परस्िथतियों में राज्य और केन्द्र सरकारों की कया भूमिका होगी? मैं साइकलोन के विषय में अधिक नहीं कहना चाहूंगा कयोंकि सदन में इस विषय पर काफी चर्चा हो चुकी है लेकिन बाढ़ से प्रभावित होने वाले इलाकों के बारे में नश्िचत तौर पर सदन में चर्चा रखना चाहूंगा। इस देश में सबसे ज्यादा और प्रतिवर्ष नुकसान बाढ़ से होता है। सन् १९५० में, जहां इस देश में डेढ़ करोड़ लोग बाढ़ से प्रभावित हुये थे, वहां १९९० से १९९९ के बीच में ५ करोड़ से अधिक लोग बाढ़ से प्रभावित हुये हैं। पिछले ५० सालों में इस देश में बाढ़ से ४१ हजार करोड़ रुपये से अधिक का नुकसान हुआ है। सभापति महोदय, प्रत्येक वर्ष बाढ़ से औसतन १५०० लोग मारे जाते हैं जबकि १९७७ में लगभग ११ हजार लोग बाढ़ के प्रकोप से मारे गये थे। मैं किसी पर इस विषय पर आरोप-प्रत्यारोप लगाकर केन्द्रीय सरकार की जिम्मेदारी नहीं बढ़ाना चाहता हूं लेकिन बाढ़ के सिलसिले में इस देश में सरकार द्वारा कुछ प्रमुख निर्णय लिये जाने चाहिये थे। हमारे देश में बाढ़ की सीमा केवल अपने देश में नहीं है, यह देश की सीमा के बाहर भी कुछ देशों से संबंध रखता है। जब हम हिन्दुस्तान में बाढ़ की बात करते हैं, खासकर उत्तर प्रदेश और बिहार में जो नदियां नेपाल से बहकर हमारे यहां आती हैं, कुछ नदियां बांगला देश में जाती हैं या बांगला देश या भूटान की सीमा से सटकर गुजरती हैं। जब हम यहां बैठकर बात करते हैं तो केन्द्र सरकार को सब तरह से बात करनी चाहिये जब हम लोग बाढ़ के विषय पर चर्चा कर रहे हैं तो विदेश मंत्रालय के एक प्रतनधि को नश्िचत तौर पर यहां रहना चाहिये, जल संसाधन मंत्रालय का प्रतनधि यहां होना चाहिये। नश्िचत रूप से जल संसाधन मंत्रालय के प्रतनधि को यहां होना चाहिए और नश्िचत रूप से पर्यावरण विभाग से जुड़े मंत्रालय के व्यकितयों को यहां होना चाहिए। ... (व्यवधान) श्री रामदास अठावले (पंढरपुर) : आपकी सरकार है, हमें कया कहते हैं। ... (व्यवधान)MR. CHAIRMAN : Mr. Ramdas, please resume your seat.

commending anyone. You must try to understand what I want to say. सभापति महोदय, मैं यह विषय दूसरे दृष्िटकोण से सदन के सामने रख रहा हूं कयोकि इन मंत्रालयों का यहां होना ज़रूरी है। जब प्राकृतिक विपदाओं की बात करते हैं आप पर्यावरण की बात करते हैं। जब विशेष रूप से बिहार से सटी सीमाओं की बात करते हैं, उत्तर प्रदेश की सीमाओं की बात करते हैं तो नेपाल की अर्थ-तंत्र की जो अवस्था है, पिछले ५० वषर्ों में उनके अर्थ-तंत्र का विनाश होता रहा है और उसी क़म में जो वहां के पहाड़ी क्षेत्र हैं, जिस क़म से वहां पहाड़ों पर पेड़ों की कटाई हुई है और उनका अवरोहण होता है, पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों में बारिश होने के कारण मिट्टी का प्रवाह नदियों में होता है, उससे जिस प्रकार से भारत की नदियों का अवक़मण हुआ है और नदियों का जल स्तर ऊपर आ गया है, यह मुख्य कारण है जिसके कारण बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश जैसे क्षेत्रों में भी बरबादी हुई है।... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please conclude now. श्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी : मैंने अभी बोलना शुरू ही किया है।MR. CHAIRMAN: Only twenty minutes are left and so many speakers are still there to speak.

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY : Sir, I am representing the BJP. Only one Member has spoken from this side and there are about ten Members ...(Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: No, already one Member has spoken from your side. You are the second speaker.

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY : Yes, only one Member has spoken from this side, Sir. I was watching that an hon. Member from that side was asked ten times to sit down. So, at least you allow me to conclude. Otherwise it will be a perfunctory debate. Every time some Members speak and no one cares to bother about it. So, if that is the situation, I can get back to my seat. But someone has to start thinking how these things could be done. In the last fifty years, we have been talking about this. Every time we have been spending the time here. If we do not think about it now, this country is going to face a similar situation in all the years to come.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Now, please conclude. श्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी : महोदय, मैं इसलिए यह सुझाव दे रहा हूं कि यदि व्यवस्था के दृष्िटकोण से प्रकृति के साथ खिलवाड़ होगा तो ऐसी संभावनाओं में निरंतर व्ृाद्धि होगी। जिन नदियों के बारे में हम चर्चा कर रहे हैं, चाहे वह पश्िचम बंगाल के क्षेत्र से गुज़रने वाली नदियां हों या बिहार के क्षेत्र से गुज़रने वाली नदियां हों या उत्तर प्रदेश से गुज़रने वाली नदियां हों, इन तमाम नदियों की स्िथति यह है कि जिस प्रकार से बालू का प्रवाह इन पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों की नदियों से हो रहा है और जिस प्रकार से रेत नदियों में जमा हो रही है, नश्िचत रूप से नैचुरल मैनेजमेंट का जो भी प्रयास करेंगे वह बड़े हद तक विफल होगा। प्रथम सुझाव यह है कि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सीमाओं पर बसने वाले देशों से अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर संधि या वार्ता के माध्यम से इस मामले को हल करने पर हमें विचार करना चाहिए। दूसरा सुझाव यह है कि राज्यों पर जब इस तरह की विपदाएं आती हैं, मैं नहीं कहना चाहूंगा कि किन राज्य सरकारों द्वारा इसे किस प्रकार से हल किया जाता है, लेकिन विश्व में कहीं भी देखा गया है कि अगर कोई प्राकृतिक विपदा किसी राज्य के सामने है तो पूरे देश के संसाधन उस राज्य की तरफ केन्द्रित कर दिये जाएं। अगर किसी भी राज्य में इस प्रकार की विपत्ित हो तो पूरे देश को उसी क्षण पहुंचकर उस भाग में जाकर मदद पहुंचानी चाहिए। राजनीति से प्रेरित होकर हम देश के किसी भी कोने की रक्षा नहीं कर सकते हैं। महोदय, मैं जानता हूं कि आपका हाथ फिर घंटी पर चला गया है, लेकिन मैं अपनी बातों को फिर संक्षिप्त रूप से कहना चाहूंगा कि यह विषय देश के समक्ष प्रत्येक वर्ष आने वाला है। अभी हम सत्र से हटेंगे, इसके बाद मार्च, अप्रैल में सत्र आएगा। मार्च के थोड़ा बाद एक बार फिर अकाल पर विमर्श करेंगे, १९३ की बहस होगी, फिर तीन महीने बाद मानसून का महीना आएगा, तो बाढ़ पर चर्चा करेंगे, फिर बीच-बीच में साइकलोन आता रहेगा। इसलिए हमें तय करना पड़ेगा कि सदन में विमर्श का औचित्य कया हो और किस प्रकार से बहस का केन्द्रबिन्दु स्थापित किया जाए ताकि आने वाले दिनों में ऐसे मुद्दों का समुचित रूप से निराकरण कर सकें। मुझे अपनी सरकार पर भरोसा है कि इस मुद्दे की तरफ ध्यान देगी। प्रमोद महाजन जी जो जल संसाधन मंत्री हैं और संसदीय कार्य मंत्री हैं, मैं उनसे निवेदन करूंगा कि इस मामले पर पहल करके जल संसाधन से जुड़ी हुई, अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सीमाओं से जुड़ी हुई जो बहस है उस पर कार्रवाई करने का प्रयास करें। श्री देवेन्द्र प्रसाद यादव (झंझारपुर): सभापति महोदय, यहां जो चर्चा चल रही है वह खासकर आंध्र प्रदेश, पश्िचम बंगाल, उड़ीसा और बिहार के बारे में चल रही है जो प्राकृतिक आपदाओं से प्रभावित हो रहे हैं। यह कोई नई बात नहीं है। हर साल ऐसा होता है। माननीय सदस्यों ने जिस तरह से और जिस स्तर से चर्चा शुरू की है, यह अच्छी बात है। दलगत भावनाओं से ऊपर उठकर इस चर्चा से कोई नतीजा निकलना चाहिए। हर साल छ: महीने बाढ़, छ: महीने सुखाड़ या अभी अकाल या तूफान की स्िथति पैदा होती है। अभी आंध्र प्रदेश में तूफान आया है। इस बारे में सदन में जो सुझाव आ रहे हैं, उन सुझावों को सरकार को बहुत गंभीरता से लेना चाहिए। श्री के.पी.सिंहदेव साहब, जो हमारे बहुत पुराने मित्र रहे हैं, मैं इन्हें ९वीं लोक सभा से जानता हूं। उससे पहले भी उनका बिहार से रिश्ता रहा है, उनके भाषण में उनसे बिहार छूट गया था। ... (व्यवधान) मैं आपसे यही निवदेन कर रहा हूं कि क्षति की आज जो भी चर्चा हम कर लें। मैं खासकर बिहार के विषय में बताना चाहता हूं, उत्तरी बिहार के लगभग दो दर्जन जिलों में चाहे मधुबनी हो, सीतामढ़ी हो, शिवहर हो, गोपालगंज हो, सहरसा हो, सुपौल हो, समस्तीपुर हो, बेगूसराय हो, खगड़िया हो, भागलपुर हो, कटिहार हो या पूर्िणया हो, इन जिलों में लगातार छ: महीने तक हर साल बाढ़ का भीषण प्रकोप रहता है और अभी तो तात्कालिक रूप से वर्षा और अतिव्ृाष्िट ने किस तरह इन्हें प्रभावित किया है। महोदय, नेपाल का जो वाटर इनक़ोचमैंट का एरिया है, जब तक इसके स्थायी समाधान की दिशा में सरकार विचार नहीं करेगी, भारत सरकार और नेपाल सरकार मिलकर इस पर विचार नहीं करेंगी, इसका समाधान नहीं होगा। इसीलिए इस पर गंभीरता से विचार करने की जरूरत है। पिछली बार बाढ़ से उत्तरी बिहार में लगभग दो करोड़ लोग प्रभावित हुए हैं। इसमें खासकर कमला नदी है, जहां शीशापानी नेपाल में एक जगह है, कमला नदीं के बाद भूतीबालान है और एक जगह नेपाल क्षेत्र में नूनथर है। उसी तरह कोसी नदी का बराह क्षेत्र है जहां नेपाल से पानी जमा होता है, वही पानी उत्तरी बिहार को प्रभावित करता है और उत्तरी बिहार के साथ-साथ पश्िचम बंगाल को भी प्रभावित करता है।सभापति महोदय, इस बारे में मल्टी परपज हाई लैवल डैम का एक प्रस्ताव आया था और जापान गवर्नमैंट से इस पर एक अध्ययन दल भेजकर इसका मुआयना किया गया था, जिसका लगभग १२५० करोड़ रुपये का एस्टीमेट किया गया था। लेकिन आज तक वह प्रस्ताव झूल रहा है, कोई सकारात्मक पहल उस प्रस्ताव पर नहीं हुई है। इस हाई लैवल डैम से न केवल उत्तरी बिहार की बाढ़ से सुरक्षा होगी, बल्िक उससे लगभग ३३०० मेगावाट पनबिजली (हाइड़ो इलैकटि्रक) भी पैदा होगी, जो सस्ती दर पर किसानों और लोगों को उपलब्ध हो सकती है। लेकिन आज भी वह प्रस्ताव पैंडिंग है। उस पर कोई विचार नहीं हो रहा है। मैं मांग करूंगा कि केन्द्र सरकार इसे प्राथमिकता से लेकर एक सैंट्रल टीम भेजे और नेपाल तथा भारत सरकार एक वार्ता करके इसे तय करे। कयोंकि मैं समझता हूं कि इससे न केवल उत्तरी बिहार को फायदा होगा, बल्िक उत्तर प्रदेश को भी हम पनबिजली दे सकते हैं। हाइड़ो इलैकटि्रक का जो उत्पादन होगा, उसमें संभावना बताई गई है कि उससे हम दो-तीन राज्यों को बिजली भी मुहैया करा सकते हैं। नेपाल को भी बिजली चाहिए वहां भी फलड का प्रॉब्लम है और बिहार में भी फलड का प्रॉब्लम है। इसलिए मैं समझता हूं कि इस समस्या का हल निकाला जा सकता है। इसलिए इस पर गंभीरता से विचार करना पड़ेगा। हाई लैवल डैम जो बनेगा वह शीशापानी या बराह क्षेत्र नेपाल में बनेगा और उसके बाद इरीगेशन की फैसलिटी को भी हम चैनलाइज कर सकते हैं। नूनथर, शीशापानी और बराह यह तीनों क्षेत्र प्रस्तावित हैं, यह मामला बहुत आगे बढ़ा हुआ है। इस मामले को जल संसाधन मंत्री गंभीरता से ले और इस पर एक नश्िचत नतीजे पर पहुंचने के लिए कोई रास्ता ढूंढना चाहिए। सभापति महोदय, एक दूसरी बात मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि जिस देश में पानी का मैनेजमैंट नहीं होगा, वह देश कभी उन्नति नहीं कर सकता है। वाटर मैनेजमैंट के अंतर्गत चाहे अंडरग्राउंड वाटर, वर्षा का जल या सतही जल है, रिवर का जल हो, जब तक इन तीनों जलों की एक यूनिट बनाने की कोई योजना नहीं बनेगी, वर्िकंग प्लान नहीं बनाया जायेगा तब तक यह समस्या हल नहीं हो सकती है। इसलिए देश को उन्नत करने के लिए वॉटर मैनेजमैंट जरूरी है। मेरा मानना है कि जो देश वॉटर मैनेजमैंट नहीं कर पायेगा, नश्िचत रूप से वह देश सम्मुनत नहीं हो सकता है। इसलिए इस पर हम खास तौर से ध्यान दिलाना चाहते हैं। मैं आपका ध्यान गरीब राज्यों की तरफ दिलाना चाहता हूं। पता नहीं आंध्र का कया आधार बनाया गया है। पूरे देश में जो गाडगिल फार्मूला है, राज्य के बजट का जो आकार बनता है या जो योजना हमारे राज्य को मिलती है, उसकाOn the basis of internal resources of the state, है। जब तक इंटरनल रिसोर्िसस के आधार पर राज्य का प्लान का आकार बनेगा तब तक प्राकृतिक आपदा से प्रभावित राज्य अफैकटेड होते रहेंगे। उसका पिछड़ापन, उसकी बैकवर्डनैस दूर नहीं हो सकती। इसलिए एक विशेष पैकेज की जरूरत है। जब तक उस राज्य की गरीबी को आधार नहीं बनाया जायेगा तब तक कुछ नहीं होगा। फार्मूले के तहत उस राज्य को प्लान का आकार दिया जाता है तो इससे नैशनल रिसोर्सेस कैसे मोबीलाईज होगा? जो राज्य बाढ़ से अफैकटेड हैं, जो राज्य तूफान से अफैकटेड है चाहे आंध्र हो, उड़ीसा हो या बिहार हो, अगर वहां प्लान का वही आकार रहेगा तो इंटरनल रिसोर्स मोबीलाइजेशन कैसे हो सकेगा। इसके लिए भारत सरकार को अपनी बुनियादी सोच में परिवर्तन करना होगा। इस पर गंभीरता से विचार करना होगा कि जो प्लान का आकार हो, वह उस स्टेट की नीड, पावर्टी और उसकी बैकवर्डनैस को आधार बनाकर ही होना चाहिए तभी हम इस समस्या का कोई परमानेंट हल निकाल सकते हैं। अभी नैशनल ऐप्लाइड इकोनौमिक रिसर्च इंस्टीटयूशन के जरिये इस देश के गरीब लोगों का एक सर्वेक्षण हुआ है जिसमें १६ प्रतिशत लोगों की प्रतदिन की आय तीन रुपये आंकी गयी है। प्रति दिन तीन रुपये पाने वाला व्यकित चाहे बाढ़ से प्रभावित हो या साइकलोन से प्रभावित हो, उसका कया हश्र होगा?16.53 hrs. (उपाध्यक्ष महोदय पीठासीन हुए) उसकी फूड सिकयोरिटी का कया हश्र होगा? इसलिए हम इसका जिक़ करना चाहते हैं कि नैशनल ऐप्लाइड इकोनौमिक रिसर्च इंस्टीटयूशन ने सर्वे किया है कि १६ परसैंट लोगों की प्रतदिन की आय तीन रुपये है और १८ परसेंट लोगों की प्रतदिन की आय मात्र पांच रुपये है। जो प्राकृतिक आपदा से प्रभावित राज्य हैं, उनमें जो गरीबी रेखा के नीचे रहने वाले लोग हैं, उन लोगों के भोजन की समस्या भीषण है। उड़ीसा के कालाहांडी क्षेत्र में जो भुखमरी की स्िथति होती है, वह इस देश के लिए कलंक है। आज हमारे देश की आजादी को ५१ साल से ऊपर हो गए हैं। इतने वशर्ों के बाद भी यहां के लोगों की पौष्िटक आहार के अभाव में जान चली जाये, तो यह देश के लिए बहुत गंभीर सवाल है। यह समस्या ज्वलंत है जिस पर हम इस सदन में बहुत विस्तार से चर्चा करते हैं। हम यहां कई समस्याओं जैसे इन्फ्रास्ट्रकचर, देश को उन्नत करने पर विचार करते हैं लेकिन सबसे बुनियादी समस्या फूड सिकयोरिटी की है। इस देश में ३५ करोड़ ऐसे लोग हैं जो गरीबी रेखा के नीचे रहते हैं। उनकी भोजन की समस्या को हम अभी तक हल नहीं कर पाये हैं। जहां नैचुरल कैलेमिटी से अफैकटेड लोग हैं उनकी तरफ हमें ज्यादा ध्यान देना है। इसलिए हम इस सदन के माध्यम से सरकार का ध्यान आकृष्ट करना चाहते हैं कि रोज सिर्फ चर्चा के लिए चर्चा न हो बल्िक किसी नतीजे पर पहुंचना चाहिए। इसके लिए एक मास्टर प्लान चाहे साइकलोन की संभावनाओं को देखकर या फलड की संभावनाओं को देखकर हो, बनाना चाहिए। इस पर भारत सरकार को कोई सकारात्मक या पौजीटिव स्टैप लेना चाहिए, हम यही मांग रखना चाहते हैं। श्री महबूब ज़हेदी (कटवा) : उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मैं आपको मुबारकबाद देता हूं कि आप फिर से चुनकर आए हैं। मैं आपका बहुत शुक़गुजार हूं कि आपने मुझे बहुत महत्वपूर्ण चर्चा में बोलने का मौका दिया। इस शताब्दी के आखिर में बाढ़, तूफान और बर्बादी मिल रही है। इससे चारों राज्यों में करीब पांच सौ जानें गई हैं, हजारों-लाखों हैकटेयर जमीन बर्बाद हुई है और चार महीने को गए हैं लेकिन हालत अभी तक खराब है। आपने मेरा चुनाव क्षेत्र देखा हुआ है। वहां चुनाव के समय १८-२० नावों में बूथ बनाये गये थे । २२ से २८ तारीख में करीब २४७ एम.एम. बारिश हुई। इतनी बारिश पिछले कई सालों में नहीं हुई थी। यह मेरी खुशकिस्मती है कि मैं स्टैंडिंग कमेटी ऑन ऐग्रीकल्चर में था । मैं तब भी बोलता था कि डिस्चार्ज ऑफ डैम और डिस्चार्ज ऑफ बैराज के बारे में कुछ किया जाए। इस बार पश्िचम बंगाल में इतनी बारिश हुई, उसी समय साढ़े अठारह लाख कयूसिक फीट पानी एक साथ छोड़ा गया। पश्िचम बंगाल के १६ में से पूरे १४ जिले डूब गए हैं, २४३ ब्लॉक डूब गए हैं और ९० लाख लोग इसके शिकार हुए हैं, बेघर हुए हैं। चार लाख घर बर्बाद हो गए हैं। तीन लाख घर कुछ-कुछ टूटे रह गए हैं। कुल मिलाकर बीस हजार करोड़ रुपये की बर्बादी हुई है। दो बार बाढ़ आई जिसमें एक बार बीस हजार करोड़ रुपये और दूसरी बार पचीस हजार करोड़ रुपये का नुकसान हुआ। कल की खबर है कि तूफान उड़ीसा, बंगाल होकर भूटान तक जाएगा। उसके बाद कया होगा, यह हमें मालूम नहीं है। जान और माल की जो हानि हुई है, उस पर पश्िचम बंगाल की सरकार ने ६३ करोड़ रुपये खर्च किए हैं। कुछ और मदद भी करने की कोशिश की है। पंचायत द्वारा भी कुछ कोशिश की गई है। लेकिन अफसोस है कि अभी तक सरकार की ओर से पश्िचम बंगाल को एक पैसा भी नहीं मिला है, सिर्फ इन्कवारी और कमीशन मिला है, जो अभी गया है। वह कब आएगा और कब रुपया देगा, यह पता नहीं है। कया कभी किसी ने यह सुना था कि कलकत्ता शहर में नाव के द्वारा रिलीफ कार्य करवाना पड़ेगा?17.00 hrs. लेकिन इस दफा हुआ था। हावड़ा में करवाना पड़ा, ४५ म्यूनसिपैलिटीज़ में करवाना पड़ा, ऐसे हालात हुए हैं। लेकिन केन्द्रीय सरकार की ओर से अभी तक एक पैसा वहां नहीं गया। वहां राज्य सरकार की ओर से जो ७० करोड़ रुपया खर्च किया गया, वह खर्च बस वहीं तक है। बाकी हालत अभी तक यह है कि रास्ता, घाट कुछ नहीं है, सब एकदम टूटे हुए हैं। कोशिश की जा रही है कि पंचायत से, किसी दूसरे साधन से, ठीक सूरत में उनको लाने के लिए काम शुरू किया है। मगर सवाल यह है कि हमने कहा था कि कम से कम जो १८ लाख कयूसेकस पानी छोड़ा गया है, वह भी उसी टाइम में छोड़ा गया है। हमने स्टेंडिंग कमेटी में कहा था, उसमें नायडू साहब भी थे, वे बहुत अच्छी तरह जानते थे कि पहले इन डैम्स के काम को खत्म करो। दूसरी बात कही थी कि नदियों में बालू का जमाव हो रहा है । सब मर्ज हो रहा है। आज गांव नीचे जा रहे हैं और नदियां ऊपर उठ रही हैं। हमने कहा था कि इनका कोई बन्दोबस्त स्थायी करना चाहिए । हमने यह भी कहा था कि दुर्गापुर बैराज में अगर करीब ३५ करोड़ रुपये खर्च करेंगे तो १०० करोड़ रुपये का अनाज हमें ज्यादा मिल जायेगा। मगर कौन सुनने वाला है, न कुछ सुना गया, न कुछ किया गया। दो एग्रीकल्चर स्टेंडिंग कमेटीज़ की रिपोर्टस यहां दी गई थीं, मगर उन रिपोर्टस की कोई रिकमेंडेशन स्वीकार नहीं की गई। हमने कहा था, अभी भी यही बात कहते हैं कि भूटान में जितने सीमेण्ट के कारखाने हैं, उनमें जो डोलोमाइट होता है, वह सब आकर नदी में नीचे बालू में जम जाता है। पश्िचम बंगाल में हर साल बाढ़ आती है और हर साल जिंदगी उसके नीचे चली जाती है और सब कुछ उसमें खत्म हो जाता है। इसके लिए सरकार को सोचना चाहिए। अभी मेरे मित्र ने कहा कि नेपाल से, भूटान से इसके बारे में बातचीत करनी चाहिए कि कैसे इन नदियों की गहराई को बचाया जा सकता है और गहरा किया जा सकता है ताकि पानी निकल जाये। हमारे यहां गेंजेस्िटक बैल्ट सबसे बड़ी है। इस गेंजेस्िटक बैल्ट में हर साल दो-चार गांव गंगा के भीतर चले जाते हैं। आप इस तस्वीर को देखिये, इसकी रिपोर्ट भी आपको मिल जायेगी। मुर्िशदाबाद फरकका से निकलकर आप बे ऑफ बंगाल तक चले जाइये और देखिये कि गांव कहां-कहां नदी के भीतर चले जा रहे हैं। इसके लिए हमने कहा था कि गंगा एकशन प्लान में ज्यादा पैसा देंगे, लेकिन अभी तक गंगा एकशन प्लान में भी कुछ नहीं हुआ, कुछ नहीं किया गया। हम और ज्यादा आपका टाइम नहीं लेना चाहते। मेरे पास आंकड़े हैं, वह मैं आपको बताना चाहता हूं। मैंने कहा था कि १० साल के बजटरी प्रोवीजन इर्रीगेशन के बारे में बढ़ाने चाहिए। उसमें यह प्रोवीजन था कि ३,५२८ करोड़ रुपये खर्च किये जायें और इसका कोई बन्दोबस्त किया जाये। आपको तमाम बात मालूम होगी, इसमें अभी तक दस साल में करीब-करीब १,००० करोड़ रुपये खर्चा किया है। तो कया कर सकते हैं, यह बाढ़ भी कैसे रोक सकते हैं, तूफान भी कैसे रोक सकते हैं। हमारी पश्िचम बंगाल सरकार बहुत कोशिश कर रही है, मगर इसको सैण्ट्रल गवर्नमेंट को करना चाहिए। नेशनल हाइवेज़ पश्िचम बंगाल के नहीं हैं, सारी नदियां पश्िचम बंगाल में नहीं होंगी। इसमें केन्द्रीय सरकार को आगे बढ़ना चाहिए। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : अब कन्कलूड कीजिए। श्री महबूब ज़हेदी : मैं कन्कलूड कर रहा हूं। बात यह है कि एग्रीकल्चर में जो डैमेज हुआ है, उसमें कम से कम छः लाख हैकटेयर जमीन बर्बाद हुई। पश्िचम बंगाल में वैजीटेबिल वाली करीब दो लाख हैकटेयर जमीन बर्बाद हुई है। ११५ करोड़ रुपये की वैल्यू की इस दफा बर्बादी हुई है। एनीमल हस्बैंडरी, जिसका मैं पश्िचम बंगाल सरकार में मंत्री था, उसमें कुछ काम हुआ है। १३ करोड़ रुपये एनीमल हसबैंड़ी के लिए दिए थे। आज सबसे ज्यादा जरूरत पीने के पानी की है, इसका वहां काफी नुकसान हुआ है, करीब १५ करोड़ रुपये का नुकसान हुआ है। आप लोग प्लानिंग की, प्रोग्रामिंग की बात करते हैं और कहते हैं कि सेंट्रल प्रोग्राम बनाने चाहिए। मेरा कहना है कि जो पहले से प्रोग्राम चले आ रहे हैं, जैसे डी.वी.सी. का शेष कार्य है, उसको जल्द खत्म किया जाये । इन पर काफी पैसा खर्च हो चुका है, लेकिन लाभ कुछ नहीं हुआ। आपको सबसे ज्यादा ध्यान कृषि, प्राणी संपद विकास और पीने के पानी की तरफ देना चाहिए। इसके अलावा मकानों के लिए पैसा दिया जाए। पश्िचम बंगाल की सरकार ने अपनी पूरी ताकत से वहां राहत कार्य किए हैं, लेकिन केन्द्र की मदद के बिना वहां राहत कार्य पूरी सफलता से नहीं किया जा सकता है । हमने ७२१ करोड़ रुपए की मांग की है, वह हमें मिलने चाहिए। अगर यह राशि नहीं मिलती तो हम वहां प्राकृतिक आपदा से हुए नुकसान की भरपाई नहीं कर पाएंगे। इसलिए खाली कमीशन या अध्ययन दल मत भेजिए, रिपोर्ट मत बनाइए, पैसा भेजिए, जिससे वहां के लोगों की तकलीफ कम हो सके और उनकी जिन्दगी बचाई जा सके।

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I rise on this occasion to place before the House the very tragic disaster that hit Orissa, certain coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh, a few Districts of West Bengal specially Midnapore District, and parts of Bihar and a few pockets of eastern Uttar Pradesh which have been affected by floods.

Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, while I sincerely respect concept of Centre-State relations as prescribed in the Constitution of India, I must admit that sometimes we cannot avoid the temptation of doing politics against each other when natural calamities occur.

We all know that in Orissa, the BJP-BJD combine got a massive mandate. We respect the Members of Parliament who have been elected by the people of Orissa to represent them in this august House. We sincerely admit that the sufferings of people should not be viewed in terms of our political terminology.

Sir, we met hon. Prime Minister on behalf of the Indian National Congress the other day. The Prime Minister did admit to us that we were not sufficiently equipped like the United States of America and other countries to give advance cyclone warnings to the people living in cyclone-prone areas. It is true that we are not sufficiently equipped. Imagine the situation in the affected area on the 16th of this month. The warning came after the sunset, at six o""""clock, when all the administrative offices were closed. The cyclone hit the area the next day exactly at five o""""clock. In the intervening period, 25,000 people have been evacuated, whatever be the mechanism used. I am not going to support or criticise anybody. I would like to talk about what happened afterwards.

The Prime Minister visited the State following the disaster. At the end of his visit he addressed a Press conference there. I would like to quote a few lines from what he said in that Press conference. It was published in The Hindustan Times. The Prime Minister gave a very correct message to the people of Orissa there. He said:

"I wish to assure all, that in such an hour of crisis we will forget our political differences. I request all to join me in consoling the bereaved families and assuming that all sections of the society and different shades of political opinion are united in providing prompt and effective rehabilitation to those who have suffered serious losses."

The Prime Minister said this in a Press conference at the end of his visit.

But interestingly, the same news media reported that while the Prime Minister said such laudable things to the people of Orissa, it is customary that whenever a Prime Minister visits a State in such a disaster, he is accompanied either by the Chief Minister in the aerial survey or the Finance Minister. I remember, during floods, when Rajiv Gandhi visited Bengal he was accompanied by the Finance Minister Shri Asim Dasgupta to do an on-the-spot survey.

Here in this case, the Chief Minister of Orissa is a tribal. He was left in the lurch. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Shri Naveen Patnaik in the aerial survey, and in his presence the Press Conference was held. श्री रघुनाथ झा : ठीक किया।SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI : It is not ठीक किया। आप कह सकते हैं, ठीक है।It may suit you. But it is not the culture of the Constitution. If we speak in one language that will not do politics.

SHRI KHARABELA SWAIN (BALASORE): Sir, the Chief Minister of Orissa... (Interruptions)

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI : I am not yielding to you... (Interruptions)

SHRI KHARABELA SWAIN : The Chief Minister of Orissa was present at the time of Press Conference... (Interruptions)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Kharabela Swain, you are a senior Member. He is not yielding.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI : And, the Prime Minister instantly agreed on our delegation""""s visit that an additional amount of Rs. 50 crore should be granted. But let us understand that this amount of Rs. 250 crore is an advance. I say that a calamity of this nature just cannot be handled by a District Collector or a State Government alone unless the entire Government of India and the State Government join together.

Now, this is the situation in Orissa. We have to understand that it is not merely an issue. From 17th October onwards, there was a truckers"""" strike. The movement of the transport was totally stopped in most of the roads in Orissa. It was shown on televisions throughout the world that the entire communication network was not only closed due to cyclone but thousands and thousands of trucks were on the road. And, it was such a delicate situation that even the Prime Minister admitted to us that it was very difficult to deal with the situation unless all join hands. So, with the tune of the hon. Prime Minister, I join in this House to say that this is a situation where simple visit or inquiry is not so important. It is imperative that the magnitude of the problem should not be handled casually but for a long-term solution, as some of the hon. Members have suggested, an Institute of Disaster Management with the latest developed science and technological equipment, which are now available all over the world, should be created. India should prepare and gear itself for future because in the States like West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Arunachal Pradesh such things will occur tomorrow also.

Sir, today after the lunch-break, when I was coming to the House, I saw in the Doordarshan that today at 3 o""""clock from Paradeep to a coast of the Bey of Bengal, again with the speed of 360 miles per hour, another severest cyclone will be coming with the waves, seven metres high. Therefore, this magnitude of calamity is so serious that it is beyond the management of authorities either at the Centre or in the States. So, let us not do politics here. But certainly, I would submit, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, that on one point I agree with some of my colleagues from the Ruling party that in such matters if the Government of India feel that the money they allot is not spent in time or in a proper manner, let them have a permanent monitoring agency in the State itself to see that the money allotted is spent for the purpose for which it was meant. I do not mind that. It helps every State. But we cannot disturb the Centre-State relations in the management of the affairs and in its own economic distribution of resources in such cases.

Now, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, now I will come to West Bengal. Shri Mahboob Zahedi has dealt at length the whole issue. He spoke about Midnapore, especially Contai sub-division which has been severely affected. Likewise, Mohanpur, Digha and other surrounding villages had faced similar problems what Orissa had faced. It is because they are very much nearer to Orissa.

Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, rightly so, Orissa should get the topmost priority because of the magnitude of the problem there. Please do not ignore the sufferings of the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal also which have equally suffered.

Sir, I could not attend the House on the first day and I had to remain out of the House. It is because the constituency which I belong to, was totally cut off for the last one month from the national highway linking Calcutta due to floods and cyclones. Even today, I cannot reach Calcutta from my constituency unless I come to Siliguri and catch a flight.

A segment called Etawah is totally worsted for the last one month. During election, the polling booth was set up on the boat and people came by boat to cast their votes. People have shown their determination to respect democracy with a view that Parliament and the Government will respond to the crisis. At that time, everybody was serious, the political parties, the candidates and the Government that they should come and cast their votes. But the moment vote was over, for mere transportation of the people of marooned areas, no arrangements were made. It is such a pity that the candidates are crying during election time that the people should come and give votes, but the moment the election is over, they do not look at the people. This is really a tragic situation.

I appeal therefore that this matter also should be handled very seriously. The Collectors say "We are under the dictate of the Election Commission to make voters vote during election time. But now we are not under any obligation." This is the kind of thing that Collectors are saying.

I therefore draw the attention, through you, of the hon. Minister who is dealing with this subject today to the four suggestions that I am making apart from the suggestion I have made about the disaster management institute.

One joke we make always with human lives. If somebody dies in the aircrash, you give high rate of compensation. If somebody dies in a railway accident, you give different kind of compensation. If somebody dies in cyclone or floods, you give Rs.10,000/-. This is disastrous. Government should take a decision, in consultation with the State Government, and if necessary, with the National Council Meeting that a quantum uniformly applicable should be always given for the loss of life in the national calamities or accidents. It is a pity that a wage earner gets Rs.10,000/- when he loses his life in cyclone and if the rich man dies in aeroplane crash, his family gets Rs.5 lakh. So, the quantum of compensation should also be planned in a uniform way.

My third suggestion is that the Planning Commission, the Water Resources Ministry and the concerned Irrigation Department of the State Government should decisively prepare a document or a white paper to bring to the Parliament which, according to them, for the last 20 years are the flood prone areas, cyclone prone areas and drought prone areas and what mechanism in terms of Plan allocation, technological development, equipmentwise, Government is thinking for the affected areas and accordingly you prepare your study within a year and present the documentation and then ask Parliament to give you support. The kind of allocation you make for Defence resources, the entire House will allocate for Human Resources management.

These are my few suggestions. If Government consider them in the Cabinet, it will be helpful for future.

SHRI BRAJA KISHORE TRIPATHY (PURI): A severe cyclone which has swept through the coastal districts of Orissa, some parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal on 17th and 18th October, 1999 has left behind a trail of devastation. The toll in Orissa has mounted to 147 people till 27th October. In Ganjam district alone, it accounted for 139 deaths. Several deaths have also occurred in Puri, Khurda, Gajapati, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts. It has also severely devastated Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts of Orissa. Hundreds of people have been seriously injured due to house collapses and uprooting of trees. The cyclone has disrupted telecommunication, electricity, road and railways networks of the coastal districts of the State.

Thousands of fishermen have lost their boats. Some of them are still missing in the Bay of Bengal and in Chilka Lake. They have not yet been traced out by the State Government.

A lot of things have already been discussed. I do not want to repeat them. Thousands of acres of standing paddy crop have been completely lost, thousands of coconut trees have been uprooted and the total economy of the coastal districts has been collapsed. As a result of this sorrowful event, more than five lakh people are completely in a difficult position. Thousands of people are already on the streets and there is no rescue or relief measure provided by the State Government. The relief that has been provided by the State Government is completely miserable and it is not up to the expectation of the people. The relief provided by the State Government has reached the people only after four or five days.

On the 21st, I personally enquired from my constituency, which is also affected to some extent and the relief had not reached till the 21st. Yesterday, I again enquired from my constituency. Only three kilograms of rice have been provided to the families. That is the relief provided to the people who have lost their houses and properties and are now in the streets. Electricity is totally disconnected and there is no power supply. Kerosene is also not supplied to the homeless people and the affected persons. This is the relief being provided by the State Government. The State Government has miserably failed to rise upto the occassion and reached up to the expectations of the people. The relief measures undertaken by the State Government are very poor.

Sir, we had requested the hon. Prime Minister and he visited our State. He has expressed grave concern for the affected persons. We are very much grateful to the Prime Minister. He has also assured us to provide Rs.2,00 crore as Plan Advance and Rs.50 crore for calamity Relief Fund as advance. The Plan Advance is the due and it could have been given later but the State is undergoing a serious financial crisis and even the State Government employees are not in a position to get their salaries it will definitely help to improve the situation. Now the State Government is completely under a debt trap. So, the Central Government stepped in to assist the State Government but what is more important now is how the affected persons are to be provided relief.

The Central Government should declare this as a national calamity. That is our demand so that the Central Government can provide some special assistance separately from the National Calamity Relief Fund. So, we urge upon the Central Government to provide some assistance to the affected persons who are in a very bad condition. We request the Government of India to provide special assistance and there should not be any politics in this. There should not be any monopoly in declaration of the National calamity. There is no clear norm on how to declare a national calamity. Some States, with the mercy of the Central Government, sometimes with less gravity get some calamities declared as national calamities. But when calamities happen in other parts of the country with serious dimension, they are not declared as national calamities. So, there should be some guidelines to decide in which situation it is to be declared as a national calamity.

So, this is the situation in Orissa and other parts which have recently been affected. So, it should be declared as a national calamity and I urge upon the Central Government to provide adequate Central assistance that is required in the State for this purpose. Thank you.

* SHRI KALAVA SRINIVASULU (ANANTAPUR): Hon""""ble Deputy-Speaker Sir, bestowing my salutations, I would like to bring to the notice of this august House through you Sir, the fall out of the recent Cyclonic havoc and natural disaster in the State of Andhra Pradesh. I thank the Chair for giving me this opportunity. In Andhra pradesh we witness two extreme strange situations due to natural calamities both in the form of Cyclonic flood havoc in the Coastal region and severe drought conditions in certain other parts of the State. It has become a need of the hour to take up relief measures in a big way which is estimated to be one thousand crores of rupees. The state government has initiated relief measures in the affected areas at the cost of 725 crores recieved from the National Calamity Relief Fund. Twelve Mandals have been identified to be drought prone severely hit areas. The state government has declared them to be worst hit areas. Hon""""ble Chief Minister of our state Shri Sharad Chandra Babu Naidu has taken up this with the centre and has impressed upon the Hon""""ble Prime Minister too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Translation of speech originally delivered in Telgu.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Sir, there is no interpretation.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Srinivasulu, please wait for a minute. I will find out. Has he given in writing?

SHRI KALAVA SRINIVASULU : I will speak in English.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: It is better.

SHRI KALAVA SRINIVASULU : It is my bounden duty to bring to the notice of the House, the recurring problem of droughts in my State of Andhra Pradesh. Two regions - Rayalaseema and Telangana - are chronically affected by droughts. Going by even the Government statistics, three years are drought hit out of every five years. Particularly Anantapur district, which I represent, is known for not only droughts but it is classified as being desertified.

As a consequence of the recurring and perennial droughts, all sections of people are put to untold sufferings. Particularly the worst hit sections are the landless, the women, the children and the older people from weaker sections. Large scale migration to the cities and greener areas is very common. Generally, the able-bodied persons from the families migrate leaving behind their women, children and the older people.

This temporary migration of men results in deterioration and disintegration in family relations causes more hunger and health problems among women and children who get little attention to their needs and problems.

The dry land farmers have to make huge investments every year to grow the crops and not even the investment comes back as a return because of the failure of rains. When the crops fail, to feed the family and their cattle is one problem and finding the investment for the next crop is another problem. While people themselves go hungry in the drought years, maintenance of cattle becomes impossible, if they have to buy the fodder and feed the cattle. So, the cattle are sold to slaughter houses mercilessly.

Another important problem as a result of drought is drinking water for both people and cattle as well.

In Rayalaseema and Telangana regions of Andhra Pradesh, poverty, ill health and illiteracy are common because of its economic backwardness. On top of this economic backwardness, the recurring droughts multiply and intensify the poverty and sufferings of people. The twin problems of drought and poverty cause a vicious cycle of backwardness and under-development of the regions of Rayalaseema and Telangana.

So, the problems of drought and backwardness of the region cause two kinds of problems. One kind of problem is the immediate problem and another kind of problem is the long-term problem. The immediate problems are starvation, ill health, slaughter of cattle, shortage of drinking water, migration of labour, etc. The long-term problems are indebtedness, distress sale of assets, farmers"""" permanent migration to the towns, losing faith in agriculture and resorting to other anti-social activities like factions, illicit business, etc. Both kinds of problems have to be tackled with a sense of urgency and with a strong sense of determination.

Firstly, I submit that the droughts have to be recognised as a natural calamity. The norms applicable to floods have to be applied and immediate relief has to be provided. Under the short-term relief, large scale employment generation, providing drinking water, fodder supply, compensation for the loss of crops have to be provided on a war-footing.

Secondly, long-term measures have to be initiated to address the problem on a permanent basis. In order to address the problem on a permanent basis, it is inevitable to bring the surplus water of Krishna and Godawari to drought hit areas of Rayalaseema and Telangana.

Sir, renovation and restoration of existing irrigation and percolation tanks should be taken up immediately. Construction of a series of sub-surface dykes in the sand-beds of rivers is necessary. The next point is about the artificial rain research station at Anantapur. Rayalaseema and Telangana regions are located in what is known as `Rain Shadow Area"""" in deccan plateau. There is a need for artificial rain research station at Anantapur. This must be done immediately.

*SHRI RANEN BARMAN (BALURGHAT): Hon""""ble Mr Deputy Speaker Sir, thank you very much for allowing me to participate in the important discussion under 193 related to the natural calamities affecting the States of Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Sir, 13 districts of my State of West Bengal have been severely affected due to devastating flood. Besides some more districts have more or less also been inundated. The overall estimate of loss in the whole State has been to the tune of Rs 2.5 thousand crores. In Malda alone, the flood related loss is estimated to be Rs 900 crore. There is total devastating loss and damage as far as agricultural crop is concerned. Due to erosion of the banks of the river Ganga, Murshidabad and Malda have been acutely confronted with devastating flood. As a result so many villages have been completely washed away. South Dinajpur has always been inundated severely every year because CPWD has constructed roads along the border of Bangladesh. But the number of bridge and culvert is far from adequate. The number of bridge is not at all sufficient resulting in acute flood in South Dinajpur every year. This fact is true for Malda also. So the same condition is prevailing in Malda also which is very near Bangladesh border.

So I earnestly appeal to construct sufficient number of bridges along the border so as to check the gruesome effect of flood. West Bengal Government has asked to release Rs 721 crores for relief. I urge upon the Government to release the money at the earliest. I also appeal to sanction fund to be utilized to check erosion of the banks of Ganga. Roads in our district and in ______________________________________________________________________________ *Translation of the speech originally delivered in Bengali.

my constituency Balurghat are totally submerged due to heavy flood. There is total breakdown of communication in all the districts. In fact communication in every sphere collapses resulting in total disruption of normal life. People have to face immense hardship and this has become an annual feature. I appeal to raise the level of the roads from Malda to Balurghat. If the level of the road is raised, flood water won""""t be able to submerge the roads.

With these words, I conclude my speech and thank you for giving me an opportunity to participate in this important discussion.

SHRI K. YERRANNAIDU (SRIKAKULAM): Sir, I will take only three or four minutes. From my party some hon. Members have already spoken.

Due to failure of south-west monsoon, the State of Andhra Pradesh in general and Rayalaseema and Telangana in particular, is facing drought. There are as many as 500 taluk mandals in this area. Out of the total 1099 district rural mandals of Andhra Pradesh which come under the scanty and deficit category, 47 per cent of the mandals come in these areas.

The State Government has already assessed the loss at Rs. 2318 crore. The amount sought as Central assistance is Rs. 720.36 crore. The hon. Chief Minister has already submitted a memorandum to the Central Government. After the receipt of the memorandum, the Central team visited Andhra Pradesh and also submitted the report to the Central Government. The cyclone has hit my constituency, Srikakulam and also Orissa coast. The loss due to cyclone is assessed at Rs. 237 crore. Nearly 10 lakh coconut trees were uprooted and this has resulted in the loss of Rs. 200 crore and loss due to damages to roads and electrical installations is Rs. 37 crore. Two reports are pending with the Central Government. So far, not even a single rupee has been released to the State of Andhra Pradesh. The hon. Prime Minister visited Orissa and immediately announced Rs. 200 crore as Central assistance and Rs. 50 crore as grant. We are facing drought situation in Andhra Pradesh. The State Government has spent more money than allocated under Calamity Relief Fund. The budgetary resources of the Departments have already been strained due to the recent drought. We have taken up watershed programmes and water harvesting schemes in a big way. That is why I request the Union Government through you to immediately release the Central assistance to the affected States so that they can immediately take up the relief works in their respective States. At the Central level, the National Calamity Relief Fund is very meagre. Every year, the States like Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are facing either drought, flood or cyclone. The Union Government must enhance the National Calamity Relief Fund, as Rs.100 or Rs.200 crore are not sufficient to meet the relief works. I request that it may be increased to Rs.1000 crore so that sufficient amount could be released to the affected States. Unless this is done, the Central Government cannot extend any help to any State. There would only be aerial surveys or a Central team visiting the affected State and then submitting its Report. Without sufficient fund, it is not possible to help the affected State. I humbly request the Union Government to enhance the assistance given from the National Calamity Relief Fund. The State of Andhra Pradesh is facing drought. Both the Home Minister and the Minister of Agriculture hail from Andhra Pradesh. Entire Telangana is facing the drought and people are migrating to other States. To stop migration, the State Government has taken up a number of schemes but the funds are very meagre. So, my humble request to the Union Minister is to take necessary steps to release money to Andhra Pradesh to save it from this situation.

 

SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): Sir, we are discussing a calamity of rare severity. The low pressure which developed, coincided with peculiarly high tides. The situation further aggravated particularly in my constituency due to release of water from the DVC dams. The low pressure which developed on 22nd of September caused heavy downpour and that coincided with the highest tides. The dams were constructed to control the flood in the upper reaches of Damodar river Panchet, Tillahia, Mythen - but all the reservoir started releasing water. More than two lakh and fifteen thousand cusecs of water was released which submerged most of the areas of my constituency. On the other hand release of water from Kansabati Reservoir submerged the ghatal areas of my constituency. My constituency is worst affected due to this. This peculiar situation, the low pressure high tides, and the simultaneous release from the reservoir has caused immense hardship to the people of the whole of West Bengal. The flood in the Ganga river along the whole coast of the river from Murshidabad to Calcutta has affected the whole area. All districts of Murshidabad, Malda and West Dinajpur were badly affected. Last year, we sought an assistance to the tune of Rs.700 crore but unfortunately, the Central Government released funds to the tune of only Rs.60 crore to the State Government and that too at the fag end of March. Last year, the assistance from the Central Calamity Relief Fund was released to West Bengal Government on 30th March. Such types of calamities has occurred again this year and there is another warning, that is, another low pressure has developed which will create havoc in coastal West Bengal and Orissa. What is required is the urgent response from the Central Government. The States which are affected by floods, by severe natural calamity, this year - Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar - are the States which are ruled by the Opposition Parties except Andhra Pradesh, which is ruled by the TDP, a Party supporting the Government from outside.

Sir, I think there is some politics in providing Central assistance to the States. When such type of natural calamities are occurring, the Centre has all the information at its disposal. They have the information about rainfall, about the low pressure, about the high tide and about the release of water. Then why are they waiting? The system is that a Central team from the Ministry of Agriculture would visit the affected areas, they would assess the situation and would submit a report. Then the funds from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund are released to the States. When a calamity has occurred in such a big magnitude, immediate release of fund is necessary. It is because the funds which are available in the CRF and State Budget would have been exhausted. Apart from that, the State Government has provided assistance to the affected people. The necessity is to provide immediate assistance from the Centre. What is the response of the Central Government? I find nothing.

Sir, another important thing is that these dams were constructed in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Since then, 40 years have passed. Eight dams are required to be constructed. But only four dams were constructed. Only 50 per cent of the excess water was tried to be controlled through the reservoir. Eight dams were to be constructed in the whole plan but four dams were constructed. What happened during the last 40 years is that even those four dams were silted due to heavy deforestation in the catchment area of the river. Now, they cannot reserve all these waters because the capacity of the dams have continuously been reducing due to siltation. So, I urge upon the Central Government that if you have to control flood, there are different areas, different regions and different characteristics throughout the country which you have to keep in mind. So, there should be an indepth study of the whole situation.

In the year 1988, a National Flood Commission was constituted and it made some recommendations. But no Government either at the Centre or at the State took cognizance of the report. Now, 19 years have passed and we are facing another severe calamity ... (Interruptions). Sir, I urge upon the Central Government to constitute another Flood Commission so that it could study the whole situation and recommend the necessary remedial measures that are to be taken. Those measures have to be incorporated in the Plan. They should be discussed in the Planning Commission as well as in the National Development Council and a comprehensive plan has to be drawn to control the natural calamities in this country. Otherwise, this type of calamity cannot be controlled and people""""s sufferings cannot be minimized.

In West Bengal, the damage is to the tune of Rs.2,000 crore and the West Bengal Government has sought assistance to the tune of Rs.721 crore. A Central team from the Ministry of Agriculture is visiting different parts of West Bengal. I suppose they will be back here in Delhi today, pending that, you just release the money from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund.

Sir, I fully support the view of Shri K. Yerrannaidu that the amount of the fund has to be raised. With only Rs.200 crore, how do you think that you will face such situations throughout the country? A substantial amount has to be provided to the States.

In the case of West Bengal, I demand from the Government that Rs.721 crore which was sought from the Central Government should be provided to the West Bengal Government for the rehabilitation and restoration work. The National Flood Commission has to be constituted again to study the whole situation and to make suitable recommendations so that flood and natural calamities can be controlled in this country.

SHRI SUDIP BANDYOPADHYAY (CALCUTTA NORTH-WEST): Shri Mahboob Zahedi has told the House that Rs.20,000 crore is the total loss. But Shri Anil Basu is telling that it is Rs.2,000 crore. I do not know whether the CPM MPs know the real loss. Is there no difference between Rs.20,000 crore and Rs.2,000 crore?

...(Interruptions)

SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): Let him add all the figures.

SHRI BIKRAM DEO KESHARI (KALAHANDI): Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, today we are discussing natural calamities and to be specific, we are discussing about the cyclone which hit the State of Orissa creating an unprecedented damage.

The cyclone was unprecedented. The State machinery which was supposed to meet this type of eventuality was not prepared to meet it. Basically it has been seen that when there is a Government under the Congress Party in the State, it is always left in the lurch when a natural calamity hits Orissa maybe in the form of a cyclone or drought in Kalahandi.

Today you will see that the magnitude of the damage that has occured in the State of Orissa, as compared to the one which happened in Gujarat in 1998, is about Rs.400 crore more. In Gujarat it was about Rs.600 crore, but today in Orissa it is about Rs.1,000 crore. If a poor State like Orissa is not given all the help, the people of Ganjam and the coastal districts cannot come out from the misery of this natural calamity. You will see that the people of Ganjam primarily depend on agriculture, horticulture and vegetable cultivation. In Orissa, Ganjam is the supplier of vegetables for the entire State. This was the time when lakhs and lakhs of acres were planted with saplings of vegetables which would have gone to the State and the country. But today that has been completely wiped out. Therefore, immediate agricultural help should be given to the districts of Ganjam and other coastal districts.

Besides, you will see that all the developmental projects which were going on there have also been damaged. The complete environment of the area has been shattered and that has to be restored immediately. Now another cyclone is coming. Why is it that cyclones keep coming? There has been an environmental imbalance in the Bay of Bengal or in the environment of Orissa and the hills of the Eastern Ghats which control the complete eco-system of that area. Today the Eastern Ghats have been completely denuded of forests. We usually get south-west monsoon. But this time we got the north-east monsoon which eventually came and touched the coast of Orissa and the cyclone was created because of low pressure. There has been a global warming effective in the State of Orissa to the maximum extent. This has to be checked.

As you see the sense of the House, there has been a demand for the creation of a Natural Calamity Fund and our senior Member Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said that an institute should be formed to go into the problems of natural disasters and calamities. That will be a good move. We got a constructive suggestion and not critical suggestions like the Central Government did not do anything.

Today the Prime Minister went to Orissa. He declared a grant of Rs.250 crore. That is on its way. It will be definitely spent in Orissa. But I have my grave doubts whether the State Government has got the machinery.

SHRI K. P. SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): It is an additional advance, not a grant.

SHRI BIKRAM DEO KESHARI (KALAHANDI): Whatever it is. It is the money going to the State to be spent in the State. That eventually will be spent in the State of Orissa and in the affected zones. But I have my grave doubts. Can the Government of Orissa meet this eventuality? Today the Government of Shri Giridhar Gamang is in a dire financial situation. They cannot pay primary school teachers. They cannot give grant-in-aid which they had promised to the colleges.

Today, you will see that in most of the blocks of the district of Ganjam, a part of which comes under the KVK districts, there are no block officers, there are no engineers and VLWs are not there. I hope my hon. friend, Shri Anadi Sahu who comes from that area will agree with me.

Before concluding, I would like to request through you that additional loans should be pumped into the zone which has been severely affected by cyclone. But as the debate on the natural calamities is going on under Rule 193, I would like to mention about Kalahandi. Special assistance should be given to Kalahandi to mitigate the drought situation there and the projects should be completed. Besides this, the drought has been very severe. This year, the rain Gods have been very kind to the district of Kalahandi. But the effect of drought has been so severe for the last seven years that it will take another seven years for it to mitigate the problems and come back to normal conditions.

SHRI E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (SIVAGANGA): Respected Deputy-Speaker Sir, I am proud of delivering my maiden speech in this august Parliament. Actually, I should have chosen some other topic rather than this subject of natural calamities when I am giving my maiden speech.

Sivaganga is a drought prone area and also a cyclone prone area. Only the word `ganga"""" is there in it but actually, there is no Ganga there...(Interruptions)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: You are not to interrupt a maiden speech.

SHRI E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN : I have been coming to this august Parliament for the past four days. There was cyclone in the morning but in the evening, there was calmness after the cyclone. Therefore, in that calmness, I may speak about some positive aspects which have to be considered. I just recollect how Jawarharlal Nehru dreamt about new Bharat when he sat in the Treasury Benches. He constructed many dams throughout India, set up industries, developed many structures as also agriculture. The first three Five Year Plans were very very successful which caused the people in the drought prone areas and those who are under poverty line to come up in life. Even then, due to some handicaps in the State Governments, results could not be achieved fully. When Shrimati Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister, she made a dynamic approach to bring up the poor, family-wise and group-wise, so as to lift them from below the poverty line.

About 14 years before, Shri Rajiv Gandhi dreamt as to how India should be developed, how it should come up scientifically and how things should be dealt with scientific knowledge. That is why, he created an agency in Krishi Bhawan which would directly contact the district headquarters to warn them about cyclone or drought or flood so that they may be prepared and proceed properly. Everything was directly controlled by Krishi Bhawan. That was a successful work done before 14 years. But what happened to that system? Why Orissa has this type of suffering? It is because the system is not properly followed. That is the main point. I want to submit that for the past 50 years, infrastructure, wealth and assets were created. But how are we protecting them? How are we reconstructing it? That is the question which is before this Government now. Therefore, I request the Government that it should approach the issue from that angle.

Now, let this Government take a challenge. Let the Government think that in the last fifty years they have constructed India like this, they have developed India like this, they have constructed the dams, developed agriculture and industry like this and poor people have come up in their lives. It has to think how it is going to do it, how more constructively it is going to do it, how systematically it is going to do it, and how scientifically it is going to do it. That should be their approach rather than maligning the late leader Shri Rajiv Gandhi by trying to bring him to book in some other way, thereby, they are making a political party also face certain unnecessary things before this august Parliament.

Sir, I came with all the dreams after twenty two years. I ought to have come during the Seventh Lok Sabha. But I came during the 13th Lok Sabha. I feel that this Parliament should give more to the poor people. After observing all the learned speakers, I found one thing. We have got the third-tier of Government. But that has been fully forgotten by the Central Government as well as the State Governments. When we are dealing with the people, look at the people as a sect, as belonging to a territorial area where they are casteless. When they are facing a disaster, they are casteless. There is no religion. There is nothing. They are suffering a lot. The human beings are suffering along with other animals, fishes etc. The fishermen are suffering. In fact, everybody is suffering. Mr. Minister, how are you approaching them? You are having a very big Commission spending money. People are travelling by air. You are spending so much of money on that count. Kindly stop going by air. Please give that money, say Rs.30 lakh, to the poor people. They will have food at least for two or three days. Why should the Government not approach the small sect of people from that angle? The Panchayats should be taken into consideration. Whatever fund the Central Government wants to give, let it give to the Panchayats. That is the Kamaraj Plan. Shri Kamaraj had done it in Tamil Nadu. If the Central Government wants to give Rs.10 crore, the State will in turn add Rs.10 crore and this Rs.20 crore will be divided among the villages. The Panchayats will get the money. Village maramath will be there. Villages will participate in it. Villages will do the flood control work. They will do the drought relief work. They will construct the dams. They will have the canals and they will have everything in their own village. In the past, they protected it as their own asset. They treated it as the community asset. Why is the community approach now missing? Why are the assets abandoned? It is because people are thinking that it is not their work, they have to suffer, they have to beg and they have to get something during that relief period. They think that the officers will go away, politicians will go away and the Ministers will go away. This is the attitude. Kindly change the attitude. Kindly give the money to the ordinary poor people. They know how to tackle the problem. Please do not think that they are not having any scientific knowledge. They have the scientific knowledge. They know how to tackle the problem and how to face the problem when there is a cyclone or any flood or drought.

There is another aspect. Now, we are having the Insurance Company Bill before us. The point is that the private insurance companies are not going to give any fund to the poor people. If we are demanding for the cyclone-affected people, there should be insurance cover. For the flood-affected people, there should be insurance. For the drought-hit people, there should be insurance. There should be crop insurance. There should be animal insurance. There should be assets insurance, house insurance, job insurance and everthing should be there. Do you think that the private insurance companies will come forward to help such people? No. They will ask for some assets as a guarantee. Therefore, the Government has to make up its kind about it.

In the morning, the Finance Minister assured us that the LIC and the GIC would be there to take care of such things. Please take that challenge and come forward with this type of an insurance to the common man and the poor people. Let them participate in such events. Let the Panchayat pay some amount. Let the individual pay some amount. Let the State Government pay more than that. Let the Union Government pay much more than that. In that way, kindly protect the ordinary people who are suffering in the villages. They need houses. They need shelters. Permanent shelters should be there. In Tamil Nadu, it is a thing which is happening. In Tamil Nadu, we are having a permanent structure for the cyclone-hit areas. We are having all types of things but the management is something different.

The other point is that the State Governments are diverting the funds. It is happening in every State because the State Governments could not pay the salaries of their employees. Therefore, they are diverting the money. Why should the Central Government give the money to the State Governments? It should give the money directly to the Panchayats. Shri Rajiv Gandhi had done it when he was the Prime Minister. He had sent a Demand Draft in the name of the President of the Panchayat Union. That was the revolution. That was a thing which happened during Shri Rajiv Gandhi""""s regime. Why I am saying this is because I was the Panchayat Union Chairman of my village. I know how people were happy. All the villagers were surrounding me. Thousands of people were sitting. I was showing the draft sent to me. When Shri Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, he sent Rs.20,000/- to the President of the Panchayat. People decided to make the road themselves. They also participated in the work, getting only half of the wages.

18.00 hrs. They participated with half wages and they have constructed houses for the Scheduled Castes.

SHRI VIJENDRA PAL SINGH (BHILWARA): If you send one rupee from here, only 10 paise reaches the village panchayat. Do you know that?

SHRI E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (SIVAGANGA): That was the position earlier. and that is why, the money was sent directly to the panchayats. If you see the history, you will come to know that adventurous work was done during the five year rule of Shri Rajiv Gandhi. He has done very great things for the 21st Century. But you have forgotten it and you want to crucify him. That is the wrong thing you are doing. You do not even want to mention the name of Shri Rajiv Gandhi for the very good work that he has done. But he has laid the foundation for the 21st Century on which you are now standing. You do not have anything great to say except the period of Shri Rajiv Gandhi""""s rule from 1984 to 1989. That is the foundation on which India stands now.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I am sorry, I have to interrupt you and ask you to conclude now.

SHRI E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN : Yes; I will conclude now. But, with your permission, I would make only one submission.

I would request the hon. Finance Minister that when the Budget is presented in this House, the third tier system of Panchayati Raj should be honoured by giving money directly to the panchayats.

Finally, in constituencies like Sivaganga, from where I am elected, some kind of insurance scheme should be there for the fishermen who suffer very much during such natural calamities. We have to treat it just like a drought prone area. I would request that constituencies like Sivaganga in every State should be taken as model constituencies where we should take it as a challenge and develop those constituencies in a proper way in a period of five years.

THE MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, tomorrow is the last day of this Session. So, we have to have the reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President""""s Address and thank the President. So, as it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee, I propose that the sitting of the House should be extended by two hours and we should sit upto 8 o""""clock to accommodate as many speakers as possible.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Yes; it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee and the Leaders of all the Parties have also agreed to it. Otherwise, we will not be in a position to conclude that debate and the Motion of Thanks on the President""""s Address will be pending.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI : Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I agree that we should sit upto 8 o""""clock, but not beyond. But I have a feeling that many Members would like to speak from the NDA, Samajwadi Party, Left Parties and, of course, the Congress Party, because a lot of wider issues have been dealt with in the President""""s Address. Nobody can predict what will happen about tomorrow""""s business, because many issues may come up. We will certainly sit upto 8 o""""clock tonight. But if the trend of the House tomorrow is such that if many more Members want to speak on the Motion of Thanks on the President""""s Address, what is wrong in keeping the reply of the Government pending till the next Session? This can be done to accommodate more Members tomorrow.

Sir, we are told that the hon. Prime Minister is ill. We all desire that he should recover quickly and we wish him good health and long life. So, it will be in the fitness of things, even if the Members consume the whole day tomorrow, that the Prime Minister replies to the debate in good health in the next Session. This can be done, if required. This is my only prayer. Suppose we find enough time tomorrow itself to complete the debate, there is no problem. But I feel that many Members would like to participate in the debate tomorrow.

SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN: Sir, to the best of my knowledge, subject to your ruling, this is a Motion of Thanks on the President""""s Address, to thank the President for giving an Address to both the Houses of Parliament. If we do not thank him by tomorrow evening, this Motion will lapse.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI : No; it is not correct according to Rules. The Motion never lapses so long as it is in debate. The proceedings are alive till the reply is given.

SHRI MANI SHANKYAR AIYAR (MAYILADUTURAI): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I would like to remind the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs that in the year 1994, they blocked the proceedings on the discussion on the Motion of Thanks for several weeks before we could even begin it, let alone conclude it.

Therefore, there is no reason in terms of precedents.

SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN: Let us sit tomorrow. Why should we discuss it now and take time?

SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR : We can sit tomorrow.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I think, it is premature to discuss that now.

Now, let us extend the time of the House. Is it the pleasure of the House to extend the time up to eight o""""clock?

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, the time has been extended. The hon. Minister will give a reply. Then, we will take up the Motion of Thanks. श्री शिवराज सिंह (वदिशा): उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मध्य प्रदेश में भी भयंकर बाढ़ आई थी। वदिशा और होशंगाबाद में बाढ़ के कारण दो बार चुनाव आगे बढ़ाना पड़ा। वहां नर्मदा नदी से आई बाढ़ के कारण हजारों मकान डूब गए इसलिए हमें भी अवसर दिया जाए। श्री रामदास बंधु अठावले (पंढरपुर): हमें भी मौका दिया जाए।MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Athawale, neither there is a flood nor a cyclone in Maharashtra. You may kindly resume your seat.

... (Interruptions)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: All right, now Shri Amar Roy Pradhan will speak for about three minutes. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA : For ten minutes.

MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Not for ten minutes.

SHRI AMAR ROY PRADHAN (COOCH BEHAR): Sir, in a natural calamity, a large part of the country has been affected, particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. About 200 people have been killed. The list showing the total damage is not with me. But according to a report of the West Bengal Government, the loss in West Bengal is to the extent of Rs. 2,086 crore. 5,59,000 houses were affected. The roads were out of gear. About Rs. 321 crore will be required for repair of the roads. The Government of West Bengal has asked for Rs. 721 crore of Central aid.

I would like to ask a question through you particularly from the Minister of Home Affairs. He is here. Would he please tell us when did the Government of West Bengal ask for Rs. 721 crore? He did not pay a single farthing to them. What are the reasons? Can he tell us that he intends to have some political mileage from this opportunity in the name of relief? Is it a fact that he is having step-motherly feelings towards the States of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa? I would like to know about it very clearly.

In this connection, I would like to approach the concerned Minister that agricultural loans and cooperative loans should be waived in the affected areas particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Regarding natural calamity, we have got so many plans. Where is Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi? He said about the States. We had got so many plans in the past also but those were prepared only in a casual manner. Is there any friend from Assam? They know it very well. The whole of Assam was not the seventh sister. To save Assam, in the Second Five-Year Plan, there was a plan called Brahmaputra-Ganga Canal. A survey was conducted. At that time, it was estimated to cost Rs. 2,000 crore. But nothing had happened. In that plan, it was also mentioned that, if necessary, it would be from Brahmaputra to Ganga and then to Cauvery. The entire country would be linked up and the country would not suffer.

My friend from Bihar said that if you like to save northern Bihar, you must have negotiations with Nepal. And if you like to save North Bengal, you have to have negotiations with Bhutan. For that purpose, in the 60""""s, there was also the Mansingh Committee""""s Report.

I would like to know what happened to that Mansingh Committee Report. It has been put in the wastepaper basket. Whatever Government was there at that time -- naturally the Congress Government -- it did not take care of all those things. I must say that it is time now that we do something in this regard. We do not know what is going to happen. It should not be done casually. According to today""""s weather report another cyclone is coming again tomorrow. It may be so. In the next session, we shall have another debate on the same topic again. We shall have some plans and programmes to save the people of our country from the natural calamities. For that purpose it is too late. In the last 52 years, we did nothing. At least, let there be a beginning of it.

Sir, once again I shall appeal to the concerned hon. Minister not to take it as a political issue. The people who are living in West Bengal or in Bihar or in Orissa are suffering a lot due to floods and cyclones. I would request him to send relief immediately. With these words, I thank you Sir.

   

  श्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान : महोदय, पांच मिनट दिए जायें। दो-दो बार हमारे यहां इसी कारण से चुनाव टले कि हमारे यहां बाढ़ आ गई।... (व्यवधान) डा.रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह (वैशाली): महोदय, फिर आठ बजे तक सदन का समय बढ़ाने का कया मतलब है?... (व्यवधान) उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : दूसरा सब्जैकट है, उस पर चर्चा शुरू होगी। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर बहस तलब करके अंतिम आइटम पर बहस हो रही है और अचानक राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर बहस करेंगे। माननीय सदस्य सोचे कि अंतिम आइटम पर बहस हो रही है, राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर बहस नहीं है, तो वे चले गए। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर धन्यवाद के प्रस्ताव पर इस बहस के खत्म होते ही बहस शुरू करेंगे। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : मैं वही बात कह रहा हूं। माननीय सदस्य जान गए कि अंतिम आइटम पर बहस हो रही है, राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर बहस नहीं है, इसलिए वे घर चले गए। छ: बजे अचानक फैसला हो रहा है, तो वे सदस्य वंचित रह जायेंगे। कया उनको सूचना मिली कि आठ बजे तक सदन का समय बढ़ाकर बहस होगी। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय :यह तो बिजनेस एजवाइजरी कमेटी में तय किया है। समय बढ़ाने का प्रस्ताव अभी रखा और समय को एकसटैंड भी किया। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : छ: बजे के पहले सदन को अवगत हो जाना चाहिए था, तब तो सदस्य प्रतीक्षा करते रहते कि राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर धन्यवाद प्रस्ताव पर बहस करनी है, लेकिन वे चले गए। अंतिन आइटम प्राकृतिक आपदा का है और उस पर बहस चल रही है। लोग चले गए, समझे कि राष्ट्रपति के अभिभाषण पर आज बहस नहीं होगी। छ: बजे माननीय सदस्य चले गए, अब वे वंचित रह जायेंगे। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : माननीय अध्यक्ष महोदय सुबह ११ बजे जानकारी दी। सवेरे उन्होंने एनाउन्स किया। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : यह विषय हम आप पर छोड़ते हैं। श्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान : उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, पांच मिनट दे दीजिए। बाढ़ पर चर्चा हो रही है, सदस्य सूखे पर विचार रख गए हैं। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : अब मनिस्टर महोदय बोलेंगे।... (व्यवधान)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I have called the hon. Minister to reply. Please cooperate with the Chair. A number of speakers have spoken from all sections and all parties. Senior Members like Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh also wanted to participate.

... (Interruptions)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: We are short of time. I have already called the hon. Minister. It is not necessary for every Member to participate on every subject. ग्रामीण विकास मंत्री (श्री सुन्दर लाल पटवा) : उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, माननीय सदस्य ऐसे क्षेत्र के बारे में आपसे प्रार्थना कर रहे हैं, उनका और मेरा क्षेत्र मिला जुला क्षेत्र है। वहां इतनी भयंकर बाढ़ आई है कि एक-दो बार चुनाव भी टालना पड़ा। कृपा करके इनको आप चार-पांच मिनट बोलने का समय दे दें तो इनकी बात आ जाएगी। उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : मुझे कोई दिककत नहीं है, हमने आठ बजे तक हाउस का टाइम एकसटेंड किया है। इन्हीं के जैसे रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह जी तथा अन्य माननीय सदस्य भी बोलना चाहते हैं। हमें दूसरी आइटम्स को भी पूरा करना है, इसलिए मैंने मंत्री जी को बुलाया है।... (व्यवधान) श्री प्रभुनाथ सिह (महाराजगंज): आप सब को दो-दो मिनट बोलने दीजिए।... (व्यवधान) उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : ठीक है, सब को दो-दो मिनट दे देते हैं। श्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान (वदिशा): माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, पिछले दिनों जो मध्य प्रदेश की नर्मदा नदी और सहायक नदियों पर तीन बांध है- "बर्गी, बारना और तवा।" वहां तीनों बांधों से एक साथ पानी छोड़ दिया गया और तीनों बांधों से एक साथ पानी छोड़ने के कारण लगातार सात दिन तक सैंकड़ों गांव डूबे रहे और पूरा क्षेत्र लगभग तबाही की स्िथति में पहुंच गया है। इसलिए मैं आपसे निवेदन करना चाहता हूं कि वहां जो राहत के काम होने थे उसमें मध्य प्रदेश की सरकार ने आपराधिक लापरवाही की है, कहीं राहत के काम नहीं हुए और न ही कहीं पुनर्वास का काम प्रारम्भ हुआ। लाखों हैकटेयर की फसल नष्ट हो गई। अतिव्ृाष्िट के कारण पूरे क्षेत्र में जहां सोयाबीन बच गया, वह फलियों में से ही अंकुरित हो रहा है। ज्वार के भुट्टों में से अंकुर निकल आए। लगभग पूरे क्षेत्र में तबाही मच गई है। महोदय, मेरा आपके माध्यम से निवेदन है कि इस पर केन्द्र सरकार हस्तक्षेप करे। वहां एक केन्द्रीय दल भेजे, जो पूरे इलाके का सर्वेक्षण करे और सर्वे करके उस इलाके को राहत तथा मुआवजा दिलाने की पूरी व्यवस्था करे। मेरा एक निवेदन यह भी है कि बांधों से पानी छोड़ने की एक सुविचारित नीति बननी चाहिए ताकि ऐसी विपत्ितयां बार-बार न आएं और जो तीनों जिले होशंगाबाद, रायसेन और सिहोर हैं उनको हमारी नयी फसल बीमा योजना के अंतर्गत सम्िमलित किया जाए ताकि कम से कम उन इलाकों को इस योजना का लाभ मिल सके। वहां पूरे इलाके की सड़के क्षतिग्रस्त हो गई हैं, पुल-पुलिया टूट गई है, इसके लिए एक विशेष पैकेज बना कर वहां राहत और पुनर्वास के काम प्रारम्भ किए जाएं। बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह (वैशाली): उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, देश के चार राज्यों में जो प्राकृतिक आपदा हुई है उससे मुकाबले के लिए और उससे जो पीड़ित लोग हैं उन्हें कैसे राहत पहुंचाई जाए तथा सहूलियत दी जाए, इस पर सदन में बहस चल रही है। रूटीन वर्क में दसवें फाइनेंस कमिशन ने अनुशंसा की, हरेक राज्य को अलग-अलग रिलीफ के लिए फंड का इंतजाम किया। जिसमें मैं बिहार का उदाहरण देता हूं, उसको ५२ करोड़ रुपया दिया गया। इसमें तीन हिस्सा केन्द्र सरकार को देना था और एक हिस्सा राज्य सरकार को देना था। राज्य सरकार में इतना फाइनेंशियल क़ाइसेस है कि अपना हिस्सा भी राज्य सरकार नहीं दे पाती और केन्द्र सरकार नश्िचंत हो जाती है, जो तीन हिस्से दसवें फाइनेंस कमिशन के हिसाब से फंड का एलोकेशन हुआ है वह देने से केन्द्र सरकार समझती है कि हमारा कर्तव्य पूरा हो गया। लेकिन देश के वभिन्न हिस्सों में जो प्राकृतिक आपदा समुद्री तूफान, बाढ़ या ओले पड़े हैं या भूकम्प आते हैं उससे मुकाबले के लिए राज्य सरकार सक्षम नहीं है। श्री येरननायडू ने जो प्रस्ताव किया है कि जो राष्ट्रीय आपदा सहायता कोष है, जिसमें सौ करोड़ रुपए नाममात्र का फंड एलोकेशन होता है, वह बढ़ना चाहिए। जिसके कृषि मंत्री जी अध्यक्ष और मुख्य मंत्री जी रोटेशन से उसमें सदस्य हैं। उन्होंने प्रस्ताव किया है कि नेशनल केलेमिटी रिलीफ फंड बढ़ना चाहिए। उसमें अभी जो सौ करोड़ का प्रावधान है उसमें कम से कम एक हजार करोड़ रुपए बढ़ना चाहिए, पीड़ित जनता के साथ यह मजाक नहीं होना चाहिए। प्रधानमंत्री जी जाकर यह ऐलान कर दें कि ढाई सौ करोड़ रुपए की मदद की और उसी राज्य को सेंट्रल असीस्टेंस का एडवांस दे दें, अन्य कोई रिलीफ में मदद नहीं कर पाते, चूंकि बजट में प्रावधान नहीं है। इसलिए नेशनल केलेमिटी रिलीफ फंड में सौ करोड़ रुपए से बढ़ा कर एक हजार करोड़ रुपए करने वाले हैं या नहीं। मंत्री जी इस बात का जवाब दें कि वह उस पर विचार करने वाले हैं या नहीं? कया असत्य आश्वासन ही दिए जाते हैं? ऐसी घोषणाएं करके मानवता के साथ मजाक होता है। हम इस बात का घोर प्रतिवाद करते हैं। हिन्दुस्तान एक बड़ा परिवार है। यहां के लोग प्राकृतिक आपदा से जूझते हैं। बिहार में हर साल बाढ़, सुखाड़ से तबाही होती है। नेपाल की अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय नदियों से तबाही और बरबादी होती है। इससे करोड़ों रुपए की फसल बरबाद होती है, जान-माल की क्षति होती है, सड़कें टूट जाती हैं, जानवर मर जाते हैं। इससे सरकारी धन की बरबादी होती है। इस बरबादी का केन्द्र सरकार को जिम्मा लेना चाहिए। ऐसी तबाही के समय राज्य सरकारों को पर्याप्त सहायता देनी चाहिए। धन्यवाद। श्री रघुनाथ झा (गोपालगंज) : माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, देश के भिन्न-भिन्न भागों में चाहे समुद्री तूफान से, बाढ़ से, ओलाव्ृाष्िट से या सुखाड़ और अकाल से जो परस्िथति पैदा हुई है, उस पर बहस हो रही है।18.21 hrs. (Shri K. Yerrannaidu in the chair) यह बात सर्ववदित है कि तूफान से उड़ीसा भयंकर रूप से प्रभावित हुआ है। उसका असर आन्ध्रप्रदेश, पश्िचम बंगाल और बिहार पर भी पड़ा है। हम लोग बिहार प्रदेश से आते हैं। उत्तर बिहार प्रत्येक वर्ष बाढ़ की चपेट में आता है। मैं ऐसे मौके पर अपने प्रिय नेता स्वर्गीय जननायक कर्पूरी ठाकुर को याद करना चाहता हूं। वह बराबर असेम्बली में कहते थे कि जब तक भारत सरकार की नेपाल से वार्ता नहीं होगी, कोई समझौता नहीं होगा, तब तक बिहार का दुख दूर नहीं होगा। हमारे यहां नेपाल की नदियों से बरबादी होती है। इससे हमारी जमीन बरबाद होती है। इनफ्रास्ट्रकचर जो साल भर में तैयार होता है, वह बरबाद हो जाता है। भारत सरकार को जिस तरह से मदद करनी चाहिए, वह नहीं करती है।

  जहां तक बिहार का सवाल है, रघुवंश बाबू, मुझे दुख के साथ कहना पड़ता है कि वहां रिलीफ का पैसा घोटाले में चला जाता है। रघुवंश बाबू मेरे मित्र रहे हैं। हम साथ-साथ रहे हैं और आज भी हैं। (व्यवधान) ।MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, please resume your seat. Shri Jha, please address to the Chair. Do not argue with each other.

... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please resume your seat.

... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Nothing will go on record.

(Interruptions)** MR. CHAIRMAN: Please resume your seat.

... (Interruptions)

_____________________________________________________________________________ *Expunged as ordered by the Chair.

**Not recorded.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please stop this, otherwise I will ask the Minister to reply.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI ANIL BASU : It is a very sensitive issue because millions of people are affected. So, no political mileage should be secured out of this discussion. Every Member should be concerned about it. श्री देवेन्द्र प्रसाद यादव : सभापति महोदय, मेरा व्यवस्था का प्रश्न है। कल परसों जब सदन में चर्चा हो रही थी तो सदन में गरिमा बनाए रखने के लिए सभी पक्ष के माननीय सदस्यों ने एक बार नहीं दो बार, माननीय अध्यक्ष महोदय और माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय के चुनाव के समय आश्वासन दिया था। हमारी पार्टी के माननीय सदस्य श्री रघुनाथ झा जी को आपके आसन से बोलने की अनुमति दी गई थी। बीच में बिना आपकी अनुमति के रघुवंश बाबू जो कि पुराने सदस्य हैं, मंत्री भी रहे हैं और पार्टी के नेता भी है और उनके लोक सभा में सात मैम्बर हैं, यदि आगे इसी तरह का रवैया अपनायेंगे तो सात से शून्य पर आ जायेंगे। सभी को सदन की गरिमा बनाये रखनी चाहिये। सदन में सब की भावना का ध्यान रखना चाहिये। डा.रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : सभापति महोदय, नियमावली के मुताबिक राज्य सरकार के विषय पर असेम्बली या सदन में बहस होगी। जब चार राज्यों में आई इस प्राकृतिक विपदा पर माननीय सदस्य बहस कर रहे हैं कि कहां त्रुटि है, कहां मदद हो सकती है और केन्द्र सरकार को कया करना चाहिये तो उस समय राज्य सरकार पर हमला किया गया और कहा कि घोटाला हो गया। उसके तुरंत बाद हमने कहा कि आप घोटाले के सरदार रहे हैं। चूंकि कितने दिन अलग रहे हुये हैं, मंत्री पद पर ज्यादा दिन रहे हैं... श्री रघुनाथ झा : आप कया थे? डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : सभापति महोदय, इसलिये मैं आपका नियमन चाहता हूं कि कया राज्य सरकार के विषय पर यहां बहस हो सकती है। इसको देख लिया जाये, परम्परा को देख लिया जाये। जब हमने उठकर कहा कि ये लालू के मंत्रिमंडल में ज्यादा दिन रहे हैं तो उसके बाद इन्होंने कैसे शब्दों का प्रयोग किया। इसलिये हम जानते हैं कि सदन की गरिमा सवर्ोपरि है। माननीय सदस्य को संसदीय इतिहास और संसदीय मर्यादा के अधीन रहना चाहिये। यदि उसमें इस तरह से उल्लंघन होगा तो उसमें ईंट का जवाब पत्थर से दिया जायेगा और देंगे और इसे कोई रोक नहीं सकता।MR. CHAIRMAN : Please take your seat. I shall give you a chance. श्री ब्रहमा नंद मंडल (मुंगेर): सभापति जी, यदि केन्द्र सरकार से राज्य सरकार को पैसा जाता है तो उस पर बातचीत की जा सकती है, यह नियमावली में है।MR. CHAIRMAN: Please resume your seat. नागर विमानन मंत्री (श्री शरद यादव): सभापति महोदय, यहां असंसदीय शब्दों का बहुत बुरा प्रयोग किया गया है और जो वरिष्ठ सदस्य हैं, उनकी जुबान से हुआ है। मेरी विनती है कि उन शब्दों को निकलवा दिया जाये। चूंकि रघुवंश बाबू ने बहुत बार ऐसे शब्द कहे हैं। यही मेरी विनती है।MR. CHAIRMAN: Okay. I shall expunge those words from the record. Shri Raghunath Jha, please conclude now. श्री रघुनाथ झा : माननीय सभापति महोदय, मैं खत्म कर रहा हूं। माननीय ग्ृाहमंत्री जी यहां मौजूद हैं। मैं सदन का भले पहली बार सदस्य चुनकर आया हूं लेकिन मेरा सार्वजिनक जीवन २७ वषर्ों का रहा है और मैं लगातार २७ साल तक विधायक चुनकर आता रहा हूं। मैं नौ वषर्ों तक मंत्री रहा हूं और काजल की कोठरी से बेदाग निकला हूं। आज लालू के दर्जनों मंत्रियों पर सी.बी.आई. की जांच चल रही है। मैं चाहता हूं कि केन्द्र सरकार से जो फंडस बिहार सरकार को जाते हैं और जिस मद में जाते हैं, उन सब की जांच होनी चाहिये। मैं चैलेंज के साथ कहता हूं कि यदि बिहार सरकार ने उन फंडस का प्रापर यूटिलाइजेशन किया हो तो अपने सासंद पद से इस्तीफा देकर चला जाऊंगा। डा रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह: हम भी तैयार हैं। जांच कराइये, कोई माई का लाल भारत सरकार से आकर जांच करे कि कितना मदद हुआ है, कितना खर्च हुआ है।MR. CHAIRMAN: Shri Raghunath Jha, you confine your speech to the subject and make your suggestions. श्री रघुनाथ झा (गोपालगंज): सभापति महोदय, आज तक बिहार सरकार सारे पैसे का दुरुपयोग करती रही है। हम लोगों की जिस तरह से बरबादी हुई है, रिलीफ के मामले में पैसा नहीं बंटा है। हमारे इलाके में गोपालगंज और सीतामढ़ी में सड़कें टूटी पड़ी हैं। तटबंध कोई नहीं बना है। चारों तरफ लूट हो रही है। इस लूट को खत्म करने के लिये इस सरकार को भारत सरकार ने खत्म करना चाहा लेकिन आप लोगो की कृपा से वह रह गई थी। ऐसी सरकार को फिर से जनता ने रिजैकट कर दिया है। मेरा निवेदन है कि ग्ृाह मंत्री जी इस मामले की जांच करायें।

SHRI KHARABELA SWAIN (BALASORE) : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I do not want to go into any political deleberation on the natural calamity issue. Only for the kind information of the hon. Chief Whip of the Congress Party, Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who is a very senior Member, let me say that the hon. Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Giridhar Gamang was present during the time of the visit of the hon. Prime Minister of the country, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was along with him during the Press interview. May I say this much for his kind information because he mentioned that because he is a tribal he was not given the opportunity to go along with the hon. Prime Minister. This is not true. He was very much present. Everybody has seen him on television.

I just mean to say that I will not deal with the problems of cyclone in Orissa because those have already been exhaustively dealt with by hon. Member, Shri Anadi Sahu. I will only deal with, within the two minutes, the flood. There are five devastating rivers in Orissa - Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitharini, Suvarnarekha and Budhabalang. Unfortunately, two of the rivers namely Suvarnarekha and Budhabalang, pass through my constituency. The catchment area of the Suvarnarekha river is around 18,900 square kilometers. There is a flood moderation reservoir at Chandil the construction of which has not ended since the last 20 years. God only knows when the Bihar Government will complete it. But even if it is completed, still it will not reduce the flood havoc of Suvarnarekha river. So, I also appeal to the Government of Orissa and to the Government of India that they also come forward to set it right because a spur here, a stone patching work there has been going on for the last fifty years. Now, every year the relief work is taken up as the flood havoc has become an annual feature. You consider the total amount of the relief that has been given to the people within the past fifty years. If we could have constructed the check dams, we could have constructed them with less amount of money than that we have given for flood relief. So, I appeal to the hon. Prime Minister and to the Government of India that they should come forward with a model study and with a master plan for all the rivers in India because as per that model plan every State Government should go just to take preventive measures for the flood.

With these suggestions and with this information, I thank you very much.

श्रीमती जयश्री बैनर्जी (जबलपुर) : महोदय, मैं जबलपुर के बारे में कहना चाहती हूं। वहां नर्मदा नदी पर जो ब्रिज है, उसकी जो देख-रेख होनी चाहिए वह नहीं हो पाती जिसके कारण आजू-बाजू जो लोग रहते हैं, वह हमेशा बेघर-बार हो जाते हैं। इसलिए केन्द्र से जो राशि प्राकृतिक विपदाओं के लिए दी जाती है, वह उनको भी दी जाए, यही मेरा आग्रह है।

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI S.B.P.B.K. SATYANARAYANA RAO) : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I am thankful and grateful to all the hon. Members who have taken keen interest in this debate in the Short Duration discussion and expressed their concerns about the calamities in various States. I would also like to share their concern for the people who have been affected by these calamities in various parts of our country. Since various Members have raised very many relevant points and in my view many points have also been repeated, I would like to give a reply not individually for all the Members but I would definitely like to answer the points raised by Members in their speeches.

Before dealing with the points raised by the hon. Members I would like to inform hon. Members and this House, about the situation regarding occurrence of natural calamities in the country and the steps being taken for mitigating their adverse effect.

Our country is prone to various natural calamities like drought, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and avalanches. An area of 40 million hectares is prone to floods and the area affected annually by floods is 8 million hectares, on an average. A long coastline of 5,700 kilometres exposes the country to tropical cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. The country has about 50 to 60 per cent of its total area vulnerable to seismic activities of varying intensity. The earthquakes in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have demonstrated that the areas considered to be comparatively safe till now are really not so.

During the monsoon season of 1999, that is, June to September, 28 out of 35 meteorological sub-divisions covering 81 per cent area and 67 per cent districts of the country received normal to excess rainfall, thus making 1999 the eleventh successive normal monsoon year. A severe earthquake occurred in six hilly districts of Uttar Pradesh, Chamoli and Rudraprayag being the worst affected. Most of the States have been affected by heavy rains or floods which resulted in the loss of human lives and animals and caused damage to crops, houses and public properties. Some States had reported prevalence of drought conditions with varying magnitude. The recent cyclone over the Bay of Bengal affected the States of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, and caused extensive damage to life and property in Orissa.

The basic responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of natural calamities is that of the State Government concerned. The role of the Central Government is supportive in terms of physical and financial resources and complementary in sectors such as transport, warning and inter-State movement of foodgrains. Relief Manuals and Codes are available for undertaking emergency operations.

The National Contingency Action Plan facilitates launching of relief operations without delay. This Plan identifies the initiatives required to be taken by various Central Ministries or Departments in the wake of natural calamities, sets down the procedure and determines the focal points in the administrative machinery. Similar plans are also drawn by the State Governments. At the State level, the State Relief Commissioner directs and controls the relief operations.

The policy and arrangements for financing of relief expenditure in the States affected by natural calamities are governed by the recommendations of the Finance Commissions appointed from time to time. The present scheme in force for the period 1995-2000 is based on the recommendations of the Tenth Finance Commission. Under the scheme in force from 1st April, 1995, a Calamity Relief Fund has been constituted by contributions from the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 3:1, to undertake relief and rehabilitation measures in the wake of natural calamities. For the period 1995-96 to 1999-2000, total allocation of Rs. 6,304.27 crore, including the Central share of Rs. 4,728.19 crore and State share of Rs. 1,576.08 crore, has been made. In addition to Calamity Relief Fund, the National Fund for Calamity Relief has been created to deal with calamities of rare severity. Assistance from the National Fund for Calamity Relief is considered in accordance with a set procedure. Funds amounting to Rs. 1,264.24 crore have been released to the States from the National Fund for Calamity Relief during the last four years.

As already indicated, the recent cyclonic storm affected Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, Orissa being severely affected. These State Governments were informed about the impending storm and requested to take suitable preparatory measures like timely evacuation of people living in low lying and vulnerable areas to safer places and instructing the fishermen not to venture into the sea. The Government of India remained in constant touch with these State Governments at the highest level and monitored the situation.

The concerned Central Ministries and Departments have undertaken all necessary steps to provide assistance to the State Government of Orissa in relief and restoration measures and for immediate repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. An ex-gratia of Rs. 50,000 has been provided from the Prime Minister""""s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of deceased.

The hon. Prime Minister made an aerial survey of the affected areas on 24th October, 1999, and reviewed the situation with the State Chief Minister. He expressed solidarity with the affected population and assured the State Government that the Central Government would do whatever is necessary and practicable to assist them in mitigating the impact of this disaster. My colleagues, Shri Juel Oram and Shri Debendra Pradhan had also made an aerial survey of the affected areas on 19th October, 1999 for an assessment of the situation.

During 1999-2000, an amount of Rs. 60 crore to Bihar, Rs. 143 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Rs. 56 crore to Orissa and Rs. 59 and odd crore to West Bengal have been allocated from the Calamity Relief Fund. Three quarterly installments of Central share amounting to Rs. 33.80 crore to Bihar, Rs. 80.77 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Rs. 31.88 crore to Orissa and Rs. 33.38 crore to West Bengal have already been released. Advance release of fourth quarterly instalment of Central share to Andhra Pradesh and Orissa is being released.

The requests from the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa for Central assistance in the wake of recent cyclone is under consideration and action will be taken immediately.

I wish to assure the hon. Members that no efforts will be spared in assisting the State Governments in tackling the situation effectively.

Sir, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was kind enough to mention about me. As a person, I know about floods and cyclones. When I was the President of the Panchayat Board, the Godavari River breached at 12 places in my District, and inundated one-third of the agricultural land in my District. In 1996, there was a heavy and unprecedented cyclone. I have seen so many cyclones but not of this kind. For one hour, the wind came from one direction, and for another half-an-hour, the wind came from the opposite direction. So, all the trees fell down. But the finest thing is that the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh sent the relief more quickly than the speed of the wind, and we have rehabilitated everyone. The State Governments must act like that, and then only the relief could be given.

Sir, for the period 1995-2000, the Finance Commission has allocated Rs. 700 crore towards the Corpus Fund for calamity relief. In view of the demand, we have already enhanced it and released Rs. 1,264 crore. This year also, in view of the demand from various States and in view of the natural calamity, my Department is taking all steps for further enhancing the Corpus Fund.

Sir, so far the Government of Bihar has not sent any report about the damage and so we could not release the funds.

SHRI ANIL BASU : Sir, there is a report that there is not a single penny available in your Ministry... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN : Let the hon. Minister complete his submissions and then you can put questions.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYANARAYANA RAO: Sir, as soon as we receive the report from the State of Bihar, the Ministry would release the funds ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: The hon. Minister has not yet completed his reply. After he completes his reply, I will give you chance. will give you chance.

... (Interruptions) श्री ब्रहमानंद मंडल : सभापति जी, १९९६ से बिहार सरकार की कोई रिपोर्ट नहीं आ रही है।... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please do not argue with other Members.

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYANARAYANA RAO: Sir, as far as the State of Andhra Pradesh is concerned, Mr. Chairman, Sir, your constituency was the most affected. All the fruit-bearing trees there had fallen. We have sent a Director level officer to take stock of the situation there and as soon as he sends his report, we will take immediate action and money would be released... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please wait for some time, I will give you chance.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYANARAYAN RAO: Many hon. Members have given very valued suggestions which are useful and necessary for checking the damages. We would go into the matter. We would consult with other Ministries and we would see as to how such a situation could be dealt with in future.

I would like to assure the hon. Members that all actions would be taken in this regard. I would also like to assure the hon. Members that this Government is for the poor people and we would see that every effort is made for their rehabilitation.

Regarding the crops I would like to submit that all crops come under insurance cover from the 1st of October this year in all the States. If there are any damages, then the farmers would get money from the Insurance companies. All crops of all the States are included under this scheme.

 

  कुंवर अखिलेश सिंह (महाराजगंज, उ.प्र.): माननीय सभापति जी, अभी सत्ता पक्ष के सदस्यों ने... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN: I will give you chance. I have not given chance to anybody now.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYANARAYANA RAO: One hon. Member suggested about the formation of a Flood Commission. It is a good suggestion. We will take up this matter.

About rendering agricultural help, I have already mentioned that from October 1st the Crop Insurance Scheme has come into effect. We also feel as to how we can help them by giving loans. We would take up this matter with the banks and see that more loans are given for their rehabilitation. I think, now I have covered all the points ... (Interruptions)Finally, I would like to submit that we are here to help the people ... (Interruptions)

SHRI DEVENDRA PRASAD YADAV: What will happen to Bihar?

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYNARAYANA RAO: No report has come from there ... (Interruptions) श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह ( महाराजगंज): सभापति जी, मुझे एक मिनट बोलने दीजिए। ... (व्यवधान)MR. CHAIRMAN: The hon. MInister is on his legs. Let him complete.

SHRI S.B.P.B.K.SATYANARAYANA RAO: Let me complete my submissions. I did not talk when you were speaking ... (Interruptions)

कुंवर अखिलेश सिंह (महाराजगंज, उ.प्र.): माननीय सभापति जी, अभी सत्ता पक्ष के सदस्यों ने अपनी जो भावनाएं सदन के समक्ष व्यकत की हैं, उसमें उन्होंने माना है कि केवल यह देश की सीमा की परधि के अंदर ही बाढ़ की समस्या का सवाल नहीं है बल्िक इससे नेपाल और भूटान भी संबंधित है। नेपाल हमारा मित्र राष्ट्र है। हम आपके माध्यम से सदन से मांग करते हैं कि हिमालय रीज़न से जहां से ये नदियां निकल रही हैं, उनके उदगम स्थल से कितना पानी निकलकर आ रहा है, इसका पूरा मूल्यांकन किया जाये, सर्वेक्षण किया जाये। इसके संबंध में एक स्पष्ट नीति तैयार की जाये जिसमें जल संसाधन मंत्रालय, राहत और पुनर्वास मंत्रालय व विदेश मंत्रालय तीनों की एक संयुकत समति बने। वह संयुकत समति नेपाल, भूटान, भारत और बंगलादेश में बाढ़ से जितने इलाके प्रभावित हो रहे हैं, उन इलाकों का सर्वेक्षण करे और एक ठोस कार्य योजना बनाकर इस पर कार्य प्रारम्भ करे वर्ना यह चर्चा अधूरी रह जायेगी। यह हम रस्म अदायगी कर रहे हैं कि बाढ़ से, तूफान से इतने लोग प्रभावित हुए, इतनी जान-माल की क्षति हुई, उनको हम इतना पैसा देने की मांग करेंगे। इससे समस्या का कोई स्थायी समाधान नहीं निकलेगा। अभी पूर्व में राजीव प्रताप रूडी जी के विचार आ चुके हैं कि कुछ चीजें ऐसी हैं जिनमें हम मात्र निरोधात्मक कार्यवाही कर सकते हैं और कुछ चीजें ऐसी हैं जिनमें ठोस कार्य योजना बनाकर उन समस्याओं का निराकरण कर सकते हैं। बाढ़ की समस्या का निराकरण किया जा सकता है। माननीय ग्ृाह मंत्री जी बैठे हुए हैं। नेपाल हिन्दू राष्ट्र है, हमारा मित्र राष्ट्र है। नेपाल के पास इतने संसाधन नहीं हैं कि वह बाढ़ की समस्याओं से खुद निजात पा पाएगा। हम उस सीमावर्ती इलाके से ही चुनकर आए हैं। भारत-नेपाल सीमा पर स्िथत मेरा महाराजगंज संसदीय निर्वाचन क्षेत्र है। मैं इस संदर्भ में कहना चाहता हूं कि तीनों मंत्रालयों की एक समति बना दी जाए और इसमें एक संसदीय समति का भी गठन किया जाए ताकि सदस्यों का एक प्रतनधिमंडल नेपाल, भूटान और बंगलादेश जाए और समस्या का स्थायी समाधान निकाले।... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN : You are giving a speech now. After the Minister""""s reply, you can only seek clarifications.

श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह : सभापति महोदय, हम आपके माध्यम से मंत्री जी से निवेदन करना चाहते हैं कि बिहार में बाढ़ से प्रति वर्ष जनजीवन परेशान होता है। बाढ़ के चलते बिहार में चार-चार चुनाव स्थगित हुए हैं और वहां आज ही चुनाव हो रहा है। बिहार सरकार प्रतिवेदन नहीं दे रही है। बिहार के मामले में सदन भी अवगत है, सरकार भी अवगत है कि बिहार में जंगल राज है। वैसी स्िथति में हम केन्द्र सरकार से निवेदन करेंगे कि केन्द्र सरकार एक टीम भिजवाकर बिहार की क्षति का मुआयना कराए और जो लोग परेशानी में हैं, उनको राहत दिलाए।... (व्यवधान) डा. रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : किसी को ऐसे जंगल राज कहने का अधिकार नहीं है। ... (व्यवधान)MR. CHAIRMAN: Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, please take your seat. डा. रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : इस तरह से अनियमित बातें होंगी और आप इजाजत देंगे तो सदन की कार्यवाही में बाधा पड़ेगी। जहां तक राज्य सरकार से प्रतिवेदन का सवाल है, १९९५-९६ की रिपोर्ट मंत्रालय में है या नहीं।... (व्यवधान)

मैं चुनौती देता हूं कि ११०० करोड़ रुपये की बर्बादी का प्रतिवेदन भारत सरकार के पास लंबित है। ... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, please cooperate with the Chair. Please resume your seat. डा. रघुवंश प्रसाद सिंह : इन्होंने कौन सी मदद की है?... (व्यवधान)

मंत्री जी को जानकारी भी नहीं होगी कि किस तरह से रिपोर्ट आती है और किस तरह से कमेटी जाती है।

... (व्यवधान)

बिहार में अभी तक केन्द्र से अफसरों की कमेटी नहीं गई है।

... (व्यवधान)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Nothing will go on record except Shri Venkateswarlu.

(Interruptions)* MR. CHAIRMAN: The Minister will reply to your questions later.

_____________________________________________________________________________ * Not recorded.

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, I seek clarifications on two issues. I am thankful to the hon. Minister for the sentiments expressed by him with regard to the style of functioning of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when he said that the Chief Minister acted faster than the speed of wind in addressing the problems of suffering people at the time of natural calamities. I am thankful to him for the comments that have been made. There are two issues on which I seek clarification. Firstly, when an unprecedented drought occurred in Andhra Pradesh, a survey was done and the total particulars were submitted to the Government of India.

The total loss during drought itself has been estimated to be more than Rs. 2,300 crore. An assistance from the Central Government has been sought to the extent of Rs. 720 crore, and an immediate relief was sought to the extent of Rs. 200 crore.

Sir, the Government of India is magnanimous enough in sending a Central team to assess the total loss. But even after the report has been submitted, so far, not even a single pie has been released. I would like to know the reasons exactly for not providing this relief. Right on the heels of this unprecedented dry spell of 60 days in Andhra Pradesh, there was also a flood. Though, it was not of that much severity as it was in Orissa yet, Mr. Chairman, in your own district, Srikakulam, there was a damage. Besides damage to coconut trees and the communication system, the roads have been damaged. So, a total loss to the extent of more than Rs. 200 core was estimated and a relief was sought to the extent of Rs. 40 crore by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Sir, when the other States have been provided for a general relief--I am not talking about the relief to be provided for the loss of coconut trees, I am also aware that the Coconut Board has to examine it -- at least, some amount of a general relief could have been provided to us. So, neither for drought nor for the cyclone, relief has been provided. I seek clarification for the reasons of not providing it to our State.

Secondly, Sir, I am also happy to know that from the 1st October all the crops in all the States have been covered by the Crop Insurance Scheme. Sir, I want to know while computing the losses whether the village is being taken as a unit or whether it is the mandal which is being taken as a unit. That is the point of dispute all these years. The consensus opinion is that the village should be taken as a unit while computing the loss. The scheme which the hon. Minister is referring to, under that scheme I want to know whether the village is being taken as a unit or whether the mandal which is being taken as a unit. Thank you.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI(RAIGANJ): Sir, I seek clarification on two points. While replying to the debate, the hon. Minister has said that since he has not received the Report from Bihar, he could not respond at the moment. I appreciate him because no Governments were functioning on the reports of the State Governments.

First of all, the Chief Minister of Orissa, during the visit of the hon. Prime Minister, gave an initial Memorandum on the 25th October. The Memorandum was also followed by a report in which it has been amply established that the Government of India is keen to provide loan assistance as a matter of advance which is not exactly in terms of aid and relief. Considering the Interim Report received by the State Government, would the hon. Minister consider providing further relief in terms of aid?

Secondly, I had also made a suggestion to the hon. Minister. I am glad that he is handling his department with which he is very well known. He is a veteran in political and public lives. I have tremendous respect for his experience. Now, we are approaching the new millennium. By this time, his department might have been equipped with information as to which are the cyclone-prone districts and which are the drought-prone districts in the coastal belt of India.

Would you please take a collective policy line in the early next millennium to prepare a White Paper as to what kind of equipment and general supporting assistance would be readily made available to respond to these challenges? Considering the magnitude of the recent calamities in Orissa, would your Government declare it a national calamity? What is preventing you to declare it a national calamity? Don""""t you realise that it is a national calamity? I am asking this to you because you are a Gandhian, and I feel that your heart is feeling for that.

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY (BASIRHAT): Sir, I think, it is not wise or it is unwise rather to make aspersion against a particular State Government. May I ask the hon. Minister as to whether he has visited West Bengal or as to whether he has decided to visit West Bengal to assess the gravity of the disaster?

May I ask the hon. Minister whether he has visited West Bengal or whether he has decided to visit West Bengal for assessment of the gravity of the disaster?

Thirdly, not a single paisa has been received by the West Bengal Government till date. We have only got your reply. Nothing more. So, I agree with the hon. Member, Shri P. R. Dasmunshi that you should bring out a white paper on what sort of help you have given or going to give to Orissa, West Bengal and other States.

SHRI K.P SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): I have three points. One is this cyclone is of a rare severity and it has been acknowledged by even the Department of Agriculture. Why is it that the Government of India has not made the announcement till now?

Secondly, for the last 35 years, Orissa has been suffering from the vagaries of drought, floods and cyclone. Thirty years is a generation and, therefore, I had brought the point that like the Tribal Development Corporation, should not the chronically drought affected, flood prone and cyclone affected area, be given a special status, because Orissa cannot under the Constitution be brought into a special status State like Uttaranchal or Kumaon Hills or Himachal Pradesh or the Garhwal Hills? Can special assistance be given, as is given to TD Blocks, to the chronically affected areas for the last 35 years including Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar?

SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): The hon. Minister himself is a very respectable veteran politician. While replying to this discussion, he was talking of providing assistance to different State Governments. Whatever information is available, I would like to know whether he will take this House into confidence and tell us whether it is a fact that when you are replying to this debate, to this discussion, not a single paisa is available in the Natural Calamities Fund in your Ministry and you would not be able to provide a single paisa as assistance to the State Government unless and until you go to the Central Cabinet for further allocation. You just tell us whether it is a fact or not.

During the course of my speech, I have appealed to the Government to constitute a National Flood Commission to go into details of the occurrences which have taken place during the last several decades and to make an indepth study and suitable recommendations for remedial measures. I would like to know whether you will be considering this suggestion or not.

SHRI ANADI SAHU (BERHAMPUR): The hon. Minister in his reply has stated that crop insurance will be extended to all States and for all crops. But there is cost component for the States concerned. Unless the State Governments agree, I do not think it can be extended. This is the case in Orissa. National calamity and natural calamity have not been defined. So far as national calamity is concerned, there is a very cumbersome process. I would implore the hon. Minister that there should be a gratuitous relief through rescue and relief operations.

SHRI BRAJA KISHORE TRIPATHY (PURI): I would like to know what is the criterion for declaring something as a national calamity. No guideline is yet declared. So, it is up to the Central Government to declare some calamity as national calamity. Considering the magnitude of devastation in Orissa and other places by cyclone, I would like to know whether Government will consider it appropriate to declare it a national calamity and whether any special assistance the Government is thinking to extend to Orissa for cyclone relief. As I told you earlier, the hon. Members have given valuable suggestions about flood control. We will look into them. I am in agreement with almost all the suggestions that they have made. I know about floods and about cyclones as I have suffered both.

Regarding Orissa, the hon. Prime Minister immediately went there. He made an aerial survey and immediately announced Rs.200 crore as advance relief. I can assure hon. Members that the situation will be considered sympathetically, beyond their expectations. The Prime Minister was moved when he went to Orissa. He has to tell us what to do. So, the hon. Members should wait. When a patient goes to the doctor, he will first be able to give him only the first aid. He can give other medicines only after he gets proper reports. Various reports have to come from various departments on how many houses are affected, how much is the crop affected and so on. All these reports have to come. ... (Interruptions) Things are moving fast. The reports will come soon. We are giving immediate help now. ... (Interruptions)

I fully agree that the national fund is not sufficient. We are augmenting more funds. We will increase it. ... (Interruptions)

The State Government has to send us its first memorandum. It is only then that we can take action. It is being sent by all States. ... (Interruptions) In respect of Bihar, we have not received it so far. श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह (महाराजगंज): वे रिपोर्ट नहीं देंगे, तो केन्द्रीय दल भिजवाइए।... (व्यवधान) श्री ब्रहमानंद मंडल (मुंगेर): वहां की जनता को छोड़ दिया जाए कि मरने दो।SHRI S.B.P.B.K. SATYANARAYANA RAO: The team is ready to go there. A team is already there in West Bengal and is likely to come back in one or two days. ... (Interruptions) A team has already assessed the situation in Andhra Pradesh and the report is being studied. We will take immediate action.

Sir, I conclude now. ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN : The discussion is over. Please cooperate with the Chair.

... (Interruptions)

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU (TENALI): Sir, my two questions have not been answered. ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: The hon. Minister has said that the Government will take into consideration all the suggestions.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSHI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Minister, Sir, with all respect, I say, you have not responded to my point. ... (Interruptions) The interim report sent by the West Bengal Government is already on your desk. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI S.B.P.B.K. SATYANARAYANA RAO: We are taking immediate action. The report is being considered. ... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: That subject is over. Please resume your seat. We have to take up the next item.

... (Interruptions)

PROF UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU (TENALI): Sir, what about the release of funds for Andhra Pradesh?

SHRI AMAR ROY PRADHAN (COOCH BEHAR): Sir, he has not said anything about West Bengal, which is the worst affected State and we are walking out in protest. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI AJOY CHAKRABORTY (BASIRHAT): Sir, West Bengal is being given a stepmotherly treatment and so we are walking out. ... (Interruptions)

1909 hours 19.08hrs (At this stage, Shri Amar Roy Pradhan, Shri Ajoy Chakraborty and some other hon. Members left the House.) श्री ब्रहमानंद मंडल (मुंगेर): बिहार के संबंध में केन्द्रीय सरकार की कोई जिम्मेदारी है या नहीं? उनकी जिम्मेदारी नहीं है, तो आपकी कोई जिम्मेदारी बनती है?SHRI S.B.P.B.K. SATYANARAYANA RAO: Sir, the request has not come from the State Government. ... (Interruptions)

SHRI PRABHUNATH SINGH (MAHARAJGANJ): We are requesting you to send the team.

SHRI S.B.P.B.K. SATYANARAYANA RAO: Yes, we are sending the team even without the request from the State Government.