U’KHAND FLOODS
DEHRADUN, Sep 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Dehradun to review relief and rescue operations in the disaster-ravaged parts of Uttarakhand and announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,200 crore for the affected areas.
Apart from this, further assistance will also be considered based on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial team which visited the affected areas of the state recently to assess the extent of damage caused by the natural calamities.
The prime minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those left injured in a series of natural calamities that hit various districts of the hill state this monsoon.
He announced comprehensive support under the PM CARES for Children scheme to children orphaned due to the recent floods and landslides in the state.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas in Uttarakhand but it had to be cancelled due to bad weather, an official here said.
However, Modi met the affected families here and offered his condolences.The central government assures full support for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected regions, he said.
The prime minister emphasised the need for a multi-dimensional approach to help the entire region and its people recover from the effects of the disaster.
This would include measures such as rebuilding homes under the PM Awas Yojana, restoring national highways, reconstructing schools, providing relief through the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and distributing mini kits for livestock, he said.
“The prime minister’s presence in the midst of the affected people at this difficult time of disaster shows his sensitivity towards them.” Heavy rains, cloudbursts and landslides have ravaged various parts of Uttarakhand this monsoon including Dharali-Harsil in Uttarkashi, Tharali in Chamoli, Chenagad in Rudraprayag, Sainji in Pauri, Kapkot in Bageshwar and parts of Nainital district.
According to an official estimate, natural disasters in Uttarakhand since April this year have so far claimed 85 lives, injured 128 people and left 94 missing.
The prime minister’s visit follows a recent visit by an inter-ministerial team from the Centre to the affected areas of the state to assess the damage.
Modi arrived in Uttarakhand from his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, where he met his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam.
On Tuesday, Modi was on a day-long visit to Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to review the flood situation in the two states. He took stock of the flood situation and also conducted aerial surveys of the flood-ravaged areas in the two states.
He announced an immediate relief of Rs 1,500 crore for rain-affected Himachal Pradesh.
Modi also announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
He first conducted an aerial survey of affected areas and then held a meeting in Kangra to review the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken as well as assess the damage.
In the meeting with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, BJP leaders, affected families and people engaged in rescue services in Kangra, Modi assured all help for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected areas.
The financial assistance of Rs 1,500 crore will be the advance release of the second instalment of SDRF and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. (PTI)