THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is eyeing Japan’s support, including financial aid, for the rebuilding-reconstruction efforts in the wake of the havoc wrought by the century’s worst floods, according to T K A Nair, former Principal Secretary to the PM and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) advisory board member.
Nair told Express Tokyo is New Delhi’s largest donor and the bilateral relationship is currently at its most robust phase yet, he said. The UN in its Post-Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) report pegged the total losses suffered by the state at `31,000 crore.
On the sector likely to receive the maximum aid from Japan, Nair said,”We have to submit a detailed project report based on the UN’s findings as well as studies conducted by the others. Indeed, Japan is one of India’s major supporters in several sectors and Tokyo’s support to New Delhi is increasing with each passing year.”
Nair is also on the Rebuild Kerala programme’s advisory committee. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who met UN officers the other day, had sought their help to enable the state to garner funds from foreign missions and multinational companies for rebuilding the state.
JICA, the world’s largest bilateral agency, has been providing around Rs 2 lakh crore in 2014-19 as part of the ‘Tokyo Declaration for Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. The financial support will be in the model of Public-Private investment. Nair said the Japanese Prefab technology is one of the world’s best and the state government is seriously mulling bringing world class technology into the Prefab area in the post-flood scenaro.
It may be noted here the government is on a mission to provide houses lost in the floods and the UN report put the losses in the sector at `5,443 crore.
According to the former bureaucrat, ” When Typhoon Haiyan(Yolonda) pummelled the Philippines in 2013, JICA had provided considerable support under the UN’s Build Back Better Resilience scheme and there is the likelihood of similar support for Kerala which is looking forward to receiving international support via the Government of India channels”.
He said for India, Japan is the largest donor of Official Development Assistance(ODA) and for Japan, India is the largest and oldest recipient of ODA, with New Delhi receiving the first ODA loan from Tokyo way back in 1958. Nair said JICA had funded the water supply programme in the state which benefits 32 lakh people across various districts. Besides, JICA has extended support to the Centre’s flagship Swachh Bharat programme.