Don’t know if Rs 1,500 crore is special relief or scheme-based aid: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that it was not certain whether the Rs 1,500 crore financial aid announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be part of a special relief package or a scheme-based assistance.

Sukhu, while talking to mediapersons after Modi’s visit to Kangra, said that he had sought a special relief package from the Central Government, as the state’s resources alone were insufficient to cope with the scale of destruction suffered due to heavy rain. “I have requested the Prime Minister to sanction a special relief package of Rs 5,000 crore to meet the immediate needs of the state, considering that the overall damage losses may exceed Rs 10,000 crore,” he added.

He said, “Relief delayed is relief denied. People need help now, not months later.” He also urged the Prime Minister for changes in laws that delay the financial compensation of Rs 4 lakh for missing persons, as current regulations required a seven-year wait for the issuance of a death certificate.

Sukhu said that he had requested the Central Government for relaxation in provisions of the Forest Conservation Act to allow the resettlement of displaced families on forestland, as 68 per cent of land in Himachal Pradesh was under forest. Besides, he urged the Central Government to permit an additional two per cent borrowing limit so that more effective relief could be extended to the disaster-hit families.

“We have apprised the Prime Minister of the ground reality. The rehabilitation of the displaced people is the top priority of the government, but the existing forest laws are a major hurdle, as 68 per cent of the state’s land has been classified as forest under the 1950 Act, including wastelands, restricting resettlement efforts. “The current laws do not allow us to even transfer one bigha to the displaced families,” he added.

The Chief Minister pressed for a revision of the existing norms, pointing out that restoring damaged projects often costs more than setting up new ones. “So far, we are receiving too low and too late. Many hydroelectric power projects in the state often remain shut for months after floods, yet such losses are not accounted for under the present framework,” he added.

Sukhu appealed to the Central Government to reconsider this approach in view of Himachal’s unique challenges due to its geographic terrains. He added, “The Prime Minister gave us a serious and patient hearing. We are hopeful of meaning assistance, given his long standing association with Himachal and deep understanding of the state’s challenges.”