The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday came down heavily on the ministry of home affairs for its failure to take quick decisions on several crucial issues relating to disaster management agencies, which affected their performance in responding to challenges.
Based on the March, 2013 report of the CAG on disaster management, the parliamentary panel grilled top officials of the MHA, including new home secretary Anil Goswami, on the issue of preparedness in handling disasters — both man-made and natural.
The meeting of the PAC comes in the backdrop of devastation caused by rains and flash floods in Uttarakhand.
Several members were critical of the fact that despite coming into being in 2006, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) so far has no “business rules” to conduct its internal affairs. The MHA had asked the NDMA to frame its business rules, but so far the framework has not been set up.
The MHA was also questioned on the delay in implementing the recommendations of a task force set up in December, 2011 to “examine and review the ambiguity, constrains and bottlenecks” in the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The home secretary is learnt to have assured the panel that he will take a call on the recommendations in the next three weeks. The recommendations were made in March. Several members questioned the failure of the National Executive Committee NEC), which assists the National Disaster Management Authority, to meet regularly.
The NEC — headed by the Union home secretary — has met only twice in recent years — in May 2008 and December 2012. Mr Goswami said the 5th meeting of the NEC will be held shortly.
The MHA, however, said the apex body to deal with such scenarios, the National Crisis Management Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, meets regularly and most members of the NEC are part of the panel.