Rajnath Singh to visit flood-hit Assam, Meghalaya next month

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Assam and Meghalaya early next month to take stock of rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit states. Singh has sent Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State (Independence charge) for Sports Sarbananda Sonowal to Assam today to review the flood situation there. “The Home Minister has asked Rijiju to visit Assam today and take stock of the flood situation in the state. Rijiju is accompanied by Sonowal and they will brief the Home Minister on the situation on their return from Assam,” a Home Ministry official said. [caption id=“attachment_1726671” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. AFP[/caption] The Home Minister had yesterday assured all possible assistance to Assam government for rescue and relief of flood-affected people in the state. During a telephonic talk with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the Home Minister conveyed to him that the central government was monitoring the flood situation in the northeastern states and was ready to help all flood-affected states in facing the challenge. Eleven NDRF teams comprising over 550 personnel have been deployed for relief and rescue operations in flood-hit areas of Assam. The teams are carrying boats and other equipment. Each NDRF team has a strength of over 50 personnel. Following demands of the state authorities, rescue and relief teams of NDRF are deployed at Boko, Goalpara, Guwahati, Sonitpur, North Lakhimpur, Tinsukia and Dhemaji in Assam while two teams have been sent to Tura and West Garo Hills in Meghalaya which is also facing the onslaught of heavy rains and landslide. Torrential rains for the last couple of days in northeastern parts of the country have resulted in flooding in several districts of Assam and Meghalaya, killing 36 people and leaving scores homeless. PTI