Declare rain disaster a national calamity, Himachal CM moves resolution in Vidhan Sabha

Shimla, September 18

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today moved a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha urging the Centre to declare the devastation caused by the recent rain fury as national calamity so that the state could get liberal financial assistance to rebuild the damaged infrastructure.

Special relief package on Sept 26-27

• CM Sukhu said the state government would declare a special relief package for the people of the state from its own resources on September 26 or 27
• “I want to know why the Centre is not declaring the rain in HP a national calamity. Is it because we are a Congress-ruled state,” said Sukhu outside the Assembly

Moving the resolution, Sukhu said the state had already suffered Rs 9,000-crore loss during the three heavy spells of rain in July and August and the figure was likely to touch Rs 12,000 crore. “The state needs a special financial package, as done by the Centre when tragedy had struck Kedarnath, Joshimath and Bhuj,” he said.

“On August 18, the state government declared Himachal as Calamity Affected Area and requested the Centre to declare the rain fury as national disaster so that a special financial package could be given to the state to undertake relief and restoration work,” the CM said.

“A memorandum as regards Rs 8,700-crore rain damage has been sent to the Centre and if the tragedy is declared a national disaster, the state will get liberal financial assistance,” he added.

The CM said 441 persons had lost their lives due to the recent unprecedented rain in the state so far. “The Larji hydel project has suffered a damage of Rs 657.74 crore. The disruption of power generation has resulted in a loss of Rs 344 crore, which has adversely impacted the state’s economy,” said Sukhu.

So far, 200 villages had faced land subsidence, forcing people to live in relief camps.