Patna, March 16 Newly appointed Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain said on Monday that he would conduct field visits to all districts of the state to assess disaster management preparedness.
The governor made this statement while addressing officials of the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) at the police headquarters in Patna.
Hasnain was sworn in as the 43rd governor of Bihar on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters here, Hasnain said, "I have not come to Bihar to sit around in Lok Bhavan. I will make field visits to each district of the state, understand the people's problems, and assist the state government in solving them, particularly in the area of disaster management, to begin with."
In his first public appearance after being sworn in as governor, Hasnain urged officials to pay "professional attention" to disaster management.
"My purpose in attending this dialogue is to convey a message that there is a need to give professional attention to disaster management in Bihar, which is recognized as a disaster-prone region," he said.
The governor said that it is "God's grace" that he has been sent to the land of Bihar to serve its people.
"My six years of experience in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and two years as Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir will be helpful in assessing and solving the problems related to disaster management in the state," he said.
Prior to his address, Hasnain inaugurated the new website of BSDMA, and watched a short film made by the authority, which highlighted the vision and achievements of the Bihar government towards disaster management.
Hasnain appreciated the works done by the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government in disaster management, and said that he is now assured that he does not need to intervene in BSDMA's work for the time being because it is running on an "auto-pilot" mode.
"I am amazed to see references to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) in Bihar. I have been to many states in India, where people are not even aware of the framework," he said.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding UN agreement aimed at reducing disaster risk, loss of lives, and economic damage.
"I am also happy to see that almost all aspects of 'PM’s 10-point Agenda for Disaster Risk Management' are covered in BSDMA's presentation," Hasnain said.
The Bihar governor urged officials to spread awareness about disaster management among the people and conduct an external audit of the works done by the authority.
"Awareness about the works done by BSDMA is required because disaster management is an evolving science, and external audit is crucial to promote introspection," he said.
Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar, who was also present there, said that police, as "first responders", have been at the forefront of disaster management efforts in the state.
"Bihar has made significant strides in disaster management over the last 15-20 years, and the police have not been behind in contributing to this cause," he said.
The DGP asserted that the police's capacity has increased over the decades, and adequate emphasis is being provided on training for various purposes, including disaster management.