Warri — THE Committee on Management of the Federal Government Fund and Post Flooding Rehabilitation of Victims in Delta State, has called on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to release the N500 million grant for internally displaced persons, IDPs, in the state to the committee for appropriate management.

The committee, chaired by a former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Francis Tabai, rtd., in an interim report submitted to the governor, said the committee planned to "open one or two bank account(s) for the purpose and operate same to tackle the immediate problems facing the victims."

Meanwhile, Governor Uduaghan, has given indication that a new bill was in the making aimed at protecting the environment and to forestall future menace of flooding in the state.

The governor, while presenting the 2013 budget proposal of N398.31 billion to the State House of Assembly, said: "We have commenced action to protect the environment with relevant bill, which shall be presented to this House in due course. Unapproved structures standing on water ways are being removed. In the days to come, we would unfold more measures to strengthen our flood protection system.

"As a way forward and for better and larger participation, we shall in the course of 2013 introduce measures aimed at educating our people more on the issue of environment and climate change."