AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, July 20 (TIWN): Tripura Govt preferred to remain silent even after April 13 massive Myanmar-India border earthquake measuring 6.9 in richter scale rattling Agrtala and rest of Tripura. The Central government on Tuesday said it works in close coordination with state governments to deal with any natural calamity and never delays funds meant for relief and rescue operations in affected areas. "Our intention is genuine (to deal with calamities). We are working seriously on it. Our aim is that no life is lost in any of the calamities," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha while responding to a calling attention motion on the floods in the country. "First, the state government concerned tells us about the situation and we work along with it to deal with the situation," he said. Union minister also said that the central government deposits some funds to deal with any disaster in advance with the state governments. "It's done to ensure that the state government concerned does not have to write to the Centre for funds when it is in trouble because of some natural disaster," Rijiju said, adding that he knew the funds deposited were not enough but the state can ask for more depending on the situation.

But in Tripura’s case, how much central money is being looted rather than utilizing for diaster management is unknown so  far. The minister emphasised that the Centre "was not running away" from its responsibility in the matter.

Responding to a query predicting cloudbursts, the minister said there was no such technology available anywhere in the world but the Centre monitors flood threats or any other situation arising out of any natural calamities.

Rijiju said that people should be made aware of the possible natural disasters and the Centre was already working in this direction.

Tripura always on the high risk of massive earthquake as it is situated on seismic zone-¬V, also has probability of earthquakes measuring more than 8 magnitude on richter scale.

Though high possibilities exist for massive collateral damage in the form of casualties and mass injuries no preventive measures taken to manage in case of massive earthquake. A recent survey found that the capital city- Agartala is uniquely positioned to render massive physical damage to the residents in any natural calamities like earthquakes above 6.5 magnitudes on the Richter scale occurs.

Though, the state government has already identified 2,000 vulnerable buildings including Ujjayanta Palace, Raj Bhavan, Neer Mahal, a lake palace built by Tripura’s last king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1933, MBB College and a large number of school buildings, but no proper preventive measure was adopted by the state government till date.

Besides, several high storied buildings are being constructed everyday flaunting rules which are a real threat at the time of earthquake.

The state administration and concerned departments are telling that they arrangeed mock drills once in few  years to aware the people about the preventive measures to be taken at the time of  disaster, but all these insufficient trainings may go to vain as most of these buildings may completely collapse at the time of earthquake.

Despite these findings, at the time while the state government needs to take preventive measures, it is busy in scams and investing money in other illegal construction businesses.

Recently, the state government unable to handle multiple issues like spurious drugs, atrocities against women, corruption, malfunctioning of PDS, chit fund, deterioration of law and order, underdevelopment of tribal people and deprivation of employees. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar staying tight lipped over the increasing crimes and intensifying agitation across the state.

The uninterrupted 21 year stint in power seems to have taken a toll on the financial transparency of the Left Front administration in Tripura. Corruption in implementation of rural development schemes continues unabated. Instead, the state government allegedly eats up all the money which comes from the central government for development. The Left Front led state government does not take care about the people of the state and their problems.

According to the records of the Indian Meteorological Department, 41 earthquakes of 5.6 or lower magnitude have occurred within the coordinates 23.00­25.00ºN and 91.00­93.00ºE encompassing Tripura during the period 1970 to 2000. The city was severely damaged by an earthquake of 8.7 magnitudes in the year 1897 when the royal palace was also fully destroyed. Earthquakes of high magnitude over the last 200 years in the region are Earthquake of 10 January 1869 (Magnitude 7.5), Shillong plateau earthquake of 12 June 1897 (8.7), Srimangal earthquake of 1918 (7.6), Dubri earthquake of 1930 (7.1), Assam earthquake of 15 August 1950 (8.5).

Recent 6.9 magnitude earthquake on April 13 is a stark reminder that more severe jolts to hit Tripura in near future.