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A free hand to Disaster Management Authority
by Vikram Vishal

     New Delhi: The Central Government has agreed to give a "free-hand" to the newly constituted National Disaster Management Authority to shape relief operation policies. Disclosing this today, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told participants at an 'International Workshop on Disaster Risk Mitigation: Potential of Micro Finance for Tsunami Recovery' in New Delhi, that normally the government guides others to do things, but in the wake of last Saturday's earthquake which has claimed about 1500 lives in Kashmir, "We want the NDMA to tell us what to do, how to do things...We intend to give them a free-hand in disaster management." Describing the NDMA, which was constituted earlier this month, as the most "efficient and effective" agency to deal with the emerging situation, Patil said that "the Authority will guide us in shaping our policy in this regard, enforcing it and coordination between various agencies." The NDMA, he added, would reach out to the people, to inspire them to improve their lives. Patil said that the Disaster Management Bill would be tabled during the Winter Session of Parliament. The 60 delegates from nine South and Sout-East Asian countries, including India, were told that the focus on disaster management has changed from relief and rescue operations to preventing such catastrophes.