Heavy rain caused widespread destruction, Rs 1,500-crore aid ‘too little’ for Himachal

The political slugfest over relief package from the Central Government, notwithstanding, the people of the state are disappointed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state yesterday announced a meagre Rs 1,500-crore financial assistance, which will be inadequate for the restoration of the damaged infrastructure.

Heavy rain during the ongoing monsoon season has caused widespread devastation in the state and the government and people were expecting liberal special financial assistance from the Central Government to heal the wounds inflicted by cloudbursts, flashfloods and landslides. The exuberance over the Prime Minister’s visit was justified but the announcement of a meagre Rs 1,500 crore financial help disappointed most of the people, it being far below their expectations.

Modi, post an aerial survey of the rain disaster-affected areas, met with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, ministers, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and MLAs from both parties at the Gaggal airport in Kangra. A presentation on the extent of damage caused by heavy rain was made before him.

Politics amid a disaster has always been a debatable issue. The Opposition has been accusing the Narendra Modi-led Central Government of adopting a discriminatory approach while dealing with non-BJP ruled states and being far more magnanimous towards BJP-ruled states. Moreover, there is no clarity on the Rs 1,500-crore Central help and the exact pattern of funding will be known in the coming days.

The Chief Minister has expressed apprehension over the exact nature of the Rs 1,500-crore financial assistance. He remains steadfast on his demand that Himachal should be given a special financial package to deal with this extraordinary situation. “We are uncertain whether it is an exclusive financial help or scheme-based assistance. Only a substantial special financial package can help Himachal that has suffered massive damage to public and private infrastructure,” Sukhu adds.

Modi, while announcing the Rs 1,500-crore assistance, mentioned schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, thus giving rise to dilemma whether this financial assistance would be linked to schemes. The road ahead in terms of extending relief and undertaking restoration work, especially in the face of an acute fund crunch, seems not only arduous but also impossible.

Meanwhile, the BJP is terming the Rs 1,500-crore financial grant as a big gesture of the Prime Minister.

Some BJP leaders, however, admit in private that the Prime Minister, who calls Himachal his second home, should have been more magnanimous towards the state, considering the scale of devastation caused during the ongoing monsoon.

The Chief Minister, in a guarded reaction after the Prime Minister’s visit, reiterated the demand for a special financial package for Himachal to deal with the rain disaster. He sought relaxation in the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, by way of an amendment by the Central Government so that forestland could be allotted for the resettlement of those who had been rendered homeless.

Sukhu has demanded that the electricity generation loss due to damage caused to hydroelectric power projects should also be accounted as the loss of the state during this monsoon season. The demand is justified considering hydropower is a major revenue-generating sector for Himachal.

The Chief Minister also sought a relaxation of two per cent in the loan raising limit so that the state could raise debt to expedite the restoration work. He expressed anguish over the little help from the Central Government and said that so far, Himachal was receiving too little and too late.

Thakur, on the other hand, said that the Central Government had always supported Himachal Pradesh and would continue to do so. “The Prime Minister not only shared the pain of people but also gave them courage to bounce back. The state government should work in coordination with the Central Government,” he added.