Himachal ex-CM Jai Ram Thakur slams govt's 'biased' relief policy

Shimla, October 19

The Congress government is preaching that political parties should shun politics and unitedly help those affected by the rain disaster but it has adopted a discriminatory policy in providing relief to the flood-hit, said Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur while addressing mediapersons here today.

Thakur said, “The government is eulogising the Rs 4,500 crore relief package that it has announced for the disaster-hit people. But the package wasn’t possible without the help of the Central Government. As part of the package, Rs 1,000 crore will be utilised on MGNREGA.”

He said, “Similarly, 6,500 houses have been sanctioned under the Centre’s Rajiv Gandhi Awaas Yojana for the disaster-hit people. A budget of more than Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned for it. Under the NDRF, the state has received Rs 364 crore and Rs 190 crore in two instalments and people have donated Rs 225 crore to the ‘Aapda rahat kosh’. Even MLA development funds are also being counted as part of the package. There is not much contribution of the state itself.”