Himachal CM Sukhu seeks calamity relief on pattern of Kedarnath

Shimla, Aug 20: Seeking financial assistance on the pattern of the Kedarnath disaster, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Sunday apprised visiting BJP national President Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur about the extensive damage caused by unprecedented heavy rains in the state. At a meeting here, the Chief Minister provided a comprehensive overview of the destruction wreaked by the natural calamity and appealed for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies to aid the state’s recovery efforts.
Underscoring the severity of the situation, he said that substantial landslides, widespread destruction of homes, and extensive damage to public and private property has been caused. The current relief manual of the Union government’s financial provisions are inadequate to compensate the losses of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu said, and called for a specially tailored relief package considering the state’s geographical conditions and the severity of the disaster.
He also took up the issue of delayed release of the first installment of interim relief from the Union government. He pleaded Nadda and Thakur to expedite the process of providing financial assistance, saying the disaster had resulted in losses surpassing Rs 10,000 crore and said despite assessment teams being sent by the Central government, the interim relief was still pending.
Sukhu said the state had been utilising its limited resources to support the impacted population. He said the allocation of Rs 360 crore annually under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in two instalments has been released by the Union government. Nadda reiterated Union government’s commitment to offering substantial assistance to Himachal Pradesh. (IANS)