Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to grant an immediate aid of Rs 2,000 crore for carrying out relief and restoration works in the flood-hit parts of Himachal Pradesh.
Sukhu, who met Shah in New Delhi, apprised him of the massive damage incurred by the state due to incessant rains, cloudbursts and flash floods in the ongoing monsoon season, a statement said. The CM also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss development projects in the state.
Sukhu thanked Home Minister Shah for sending the Central Committee to assess the flood damages in the state and urged him to release disaster funds at the earliest possible as per the recommendations of the Central Committee. The CM also told Shah that about one to two years will be required to rebuild the damaged infrastructure.
Sukhu, however, told him that the relief aid received so far is “meagre” as the hill state has suffered estimated losses of about Rs 8,000 crore this monsoon.
The disaster relief fund received for the current financial year has been released to the departments concerned and Deputy Commissioners for distribution to affected people, Sukhu said. A total of Rs 315 crore pending from 2019 to 2021 under the National and State Disaster Relief Fund would be released soon, he added. Shah assured him of all possible assistance, the statement said.
Sukhu also met Finance Minister Sitharaman and thanked her for the Special Central Assistance of Rs 830 crore. He requested additional assistance so that the pace of asset creation and restoration in the state can be accelerated.
Till Wednesday, rain-related incidents like flash floods, cloud bursts and landslides and road accidents have claimed 197 lives in Himachal Pradesh while 31 are missing since the onset of monsoon on 24 June.