SILCHAR : Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Government of India, Pabitra Margherita, who is on a 3-day visit to Barak Valley, unveiled super sucker electric vehicles at the Silchar Municipal Board’s office here on Tuesday. Equipped with mini super sucker machines, the electric vehicles, the first of its kind in Assam will be used to clean drains in different areas of Silchar town.

A ceremonial programme was organised at the municipal board’s office on the day in which Margherita, while delivering his speech, the Union Minister of State said that Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had made various plans to mitigate various existing problems in Silchar town.

A master drainage system will be implemented in the town to resolve the perennial problem of flash flood and the town’s expansion will be done in a scientific manner in the days ahead, Margherita said.

He termed Silchar as an important commercial hub in Assam and said the government is mulling to carry out various works for the overall development of the town. Resolving the age-old problem of waterlogging is the topmost priority of the state government at present, he added.

On Monday, Minister Margherita visited various relief camps, took stock of the situation and interacted with the inmates. The minister also held a review meeting at the conference hall of the Cachar district commissioner’s office with various departments besides surveying the post-flood damage and situation.

The minister reviewed the damage caused in Cachar due to the flood and also reviewed the accounting of the government grants given to the victims. At the same time, the officials of the water resources department were instructed to implement the various river dams and sluice gates in the district in addition to dealing with the flood situation.

Minister Margherita assured to provide more sophisticated means to clear out drains to solve the problem of water logging in Silchar.

The minister also discussed at length with the officials of the concerned department including district commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha. He also appreciated the Cachar district administration for flood relief activities and said that special steps should be taken to clean the Silchar canals in the winter season and initiatives should be taken to make the public aware of littering.

On this day, the Department of Education, Education Department, along with APDCL officials from other line departments highlighted the problems created in the post-flood situation. The minister assured to solve the problems. The APDCL officials were also informed about the commissioning of various sub-stations after the flood.

Minister Margherita, while talking to the officials of the education department, said primary schools and those schools which have classes from primary to higher secondary, will get financial assistance if they are affected by the flood.

He also learnt details about the health camps after the flood, diseases and illnesses from the district health department. He asked the veterinary department to get the medicines required for cattle health camps from the district disaster management authority if necessary.

Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Udharbond MLA, Mihir Kanti Shome, Lakhipur MLA Kaushik Rai and others were also present at the meeting.