Shillong, August 26: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday defended the Government’s supplementary demand of ₹69.57 crore under Land Revenue, Relief on Account of Natural Calamities and Other Social Services during the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s Autumn Session.
The demand came up for discussion following cut motions moved by Ampati MLA Miani D. Shira and Dr Mizanur Rahman Kazi. Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul M. Sangma also raised concerns regarding disaster preparedness, mitigation measures and the timely delivery of relief to affected families.
Replying to the debate, Rymbui said he had taken note of the concerns raised by the members and explained that disaster mitigation involves measures undertaken before a calamity to minimise the loss of life, property, livelihoods, infrastructure and the environment.
He said effective mitigation requires continuous training and capacity-building, proper planning and risk mapping, community participation, early-warning systems and lessons drawn from previous disasters.
The Minister informed the House that the Government had secured funding for two major projects:
- Forest Fire Risk Management Project — approximately ₹15.82 crore
- Lightning Safety Project — approximately ₹6.75 crore
The Forest Fire Risk Management Project will focus on early-warning and monitoring systems, reducing combustible material, developing water sources for firefighting, emergency communication, community training and post-fire damage assessment.
The Lightning Safety Project will establish community-based early-warning systems, strengthen public awareness and train institutions and communities, particularly in rural areas, to respond effectively to lightning incidents.
Rymbui said central shares of ₹12.27 crore for the forest-fire project and ₹5.58 crore for the lightning-safety project had already been released. A supplementary provision was therefore necessary to authorise expenditure during the 2026–27 financial year and provide the corresponding State share.
He also informed the House that the State Executive Committee had approved several mitigation measures, including lightning-safety interventions across 10 districts, flood-protection and drainage works, floodplain-zoning studies, testing facilities and other structural and non-structural measures.
Additional preparedness initiatives include satellite communication systems, support for community volunteers, emergency-response equipment for blocks, search-and-rescue equipment and the installation of electronic sirens.
Responding to concerns over delays in the distribution of relief, Rymbui said the Government had issued a notification establishing a Disaster Relief Monitoring System.
According to the Minister, the system will enable legislators to track applications from the time a disaster incident is reported until assistance reaches the affected beneficiary.
He also placed the relevant notifications and guidelines before the House, enabling MLAs to monitor cases in their respective constituencies, identify delays and determine the administrative level at which a file may be pending.
