Assam floods: Govt to provide 9 lakh free textbooks to students

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu initiated the distribution of 9,00,000 free textbooks for 1,21,000 students who lost their study materials in the recent floods, ensuring their education continues without interruption.

Free Textbooks for Flood-Affected Students

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Thursday flagged off the dispatch of free textbooks for students affected by floods across the state, as the government launched an initiative to ensure uninterrupted education for children who lost their study materials in the calamity.

He said the state government has decided to provide free textbooks to students affected by the recent floods after many lost their homes and study materials. "Some districts have been severely affected by floods, and many students have lost their homes and had their books destroyed. Consequently, the government has decided to provide free textbooks to these affected students," Pegu told ANI.

The minister said he flagged off the first batch of vehicles carrying textbooks from the department's central warehouse. "Today, I flagged off the distribution of these books from our central warehouse. Approximately 1,21,000 students have been affected, requiring a total of 9,00,000 books. We flagged off the vehicles today, and additional trucks will be dispatched within a week. The distribution process will be completed within one week," he said.

The initiative aims to ensure that students in flood-affected districts can continue their education without disruption by replacing books lost during the floods.

State-Wide Relief Operations Continue

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said relief operations across the flood-affected areas of the state are continuing uninterrupted, with 27 additional relief distribution centres made operational in the last 24 hours.

Taking to X, Sarma said the total number of relief distribution centres functioning across Assam has now reached 1,745. https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/2082726738933830107 "Over the last 24 hours, 27 additional relief distribution centres have been operationalised, taking the total to 1,745 across the State. Restoration work is progressing steadily while relief operations continue uninterrupted", he said.

Central Team Assesses Flood Damage

Earlier, the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), comprising six members from different Ministries of the Government of India (GoI), concluded its on-the-spot flood assessment visit to the worst flood-affected districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat on Wednesday with a meeting with Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota.

At a high-level meeting held at Janata Bhawan in Dispur, L. Sweety Changsan, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, and Chief Executive Officer, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), briefed the Central Team on the factors behind the recent flood situation in the state and the challenges arising out of the unprecedented calamity.

The Central Team also shared its experiences from the visits to the flood-affected districts.

The meeting, chaired by the Chief Secretary, was attended by senior officials of various line departments of the Government of Assam, representatives of central agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Northeast Frontier Railway, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), besides the district administrations of the four flood-affected districts through virtual mode. (ANI)

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