Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked the officials to expedite the implementation of Asian Development Bank-financed flood and river bank erosion projects in the State to provide respite to the people from the calamity. The instructions were given after reviewing the Integrated Flood and River Erosion Risk Management Investment Programme being implemented in the State under the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a high-level meeting held at Guwahati on Tueday evening. The Chief Minister reviewed the financial and physical progress of the projects under implementation at Palasbari, Dibrugarh and the Kaziranga National Park. The meeting was attended by ADB officials besides the ministers and departmental heads of the concerned State Government agencies. AIR correspondent reports that the Asian Development Bank has sanctioned a loan assistance of 150 million US dollars to implement the flood and river erosion risk management projects in the State. The project aims at improving the reliability of flood and riverbank erosion risk management systems in three existing flood embankment systems protecting important urban and productive rural areas.