Speaking in a Seminar on Challenges of Emerging Threats and Structures for Disaster Management, the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shivraj V. Patil, said that the organizations at the national, state and district levels are expected to make policies, plans, and projects to manage the nature and manmade disasters caused on the land, in the oceans, and in the skies. They are expected to have methods and systems developed, and some material required to be collected and kept ready to be used to cope up with the problems.Appreciating the initiative of the organizers for providing a good opportunity to the experts on the subject to come together and exchange their views on the topic, Mr. Patil said the law made to manage the disasters expects that, organizations at the national, states, districts and local bodies to achieve its objectives and are brought into existence. He said the organization at the national level was headed by the Prime Minister of the country, has a Vice-Chairman, who was expected to look after the activities of it, in a regular manner, with the help and assistance of other member.
He said the organization at the state level has to be headed by the Chief Minister of the state and to have a Vice-Chairman and other members. While the organization at the district level, is headed by the Collector and the President of Zila Parishad and has other members.The Governor said the local level organizations are expected to help the affected people in time to overcome their difficulties caused by disasters. He said Persons manning them need to have vision, capacity to form policies, make plans, and put together the details of the project, to have knowledge about the administrative and executive machinery at all the levels. He said the correct kind of policies, plans, and projects and right type of experts can help in required manner, the management difficulties and disasters.
Patil further said that in the absence of good policies, plans, and projects and experts, the disaster may not be managed in the required manner. Fortunately, those who manned the organization at the national level were the experts and persons who were endowed with the qualities required for the purpose. But, for them, good policies for managing cyclones, floods, landslides, droughts and many other kinds of disasters, could not have been made and implemented in a proper manner. The organization created after the law made had experts in management, matters scientific, and administration and public relations, We should thank, and congratulate all of them for the excellent work done by them,he added.Patil said that he was happy that the leadership provided by General Vij was very laudatory and extremely useful to strengthen the foundation of the organization. The country is and in future would remain indebted to him for what he did to build and make functional.
Patil congratulated other members who have been doing their best in contributing towards framing policies, making plans, that are needed immediately and in long term to see that nuclear, chemical, biological disasters, unfortunately they occur, are managed in a satisfactory manner.Mr. Patil said that the state and district level, the organizations should be established, should meet and function regularly and should have members which meet their requirements. These organizations should have experts, selected by the governments in a very careful manner. Those who offer their services need not be selected in all cases. Those who are knowledgeable and expert and capable need be selected. He said if good and correct type of experts and leaders are selected, half the work is done. If that is not done, even good policies, plans, and projects are not likely to produce the desired results. Prominent amongst others who spoke in the seminar included Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Punjab Technical Education Minister, General (Retd.) N.C. Vij, Major General R.K. Kaushal and Dr. Rajneesh Arora, Vice Chancellor, PTU.