Rs 230 crore for rehabilitation

Tribune News Service

Mandi, September 25

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur visited Kullu to take stock of the situation. He reviewed rehabilitation and rescue operations and also took an aerial survey of Lahaul up to Chandertal to assess the rain damage. The Chief Minister said the state had suffered a loss of over Rs 1,280 crore. The damage caused in the past four days is yet to be assessed.

He said the state government had urged the Union Government for help. The government has released Rs 230 crore for rehabilitation. It has decided to release Rs 30 crore for the maintenance of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Thakur said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard and on his request, three IAF choppers had been provided to rescue those stranded in Lahaul. The Union Government has assured all possible help and if required, more choppers would be pressed into service.

Thakur said 200 persons were stranded at Koksar and 300 in Baralacha.

They had been provided food and medicines. "IIT-Roorkee students are safe and have been shifted to the Army base camp at Sisu. The road from Kullu to Manali will be restored within a week," the Chief Minister said.

Water pipelines in Manali would be repaired within three days and power supply restored within a week.

Thakur said the government was ensuring that all affected families were provided help. "The district administration has provided blankets, tents and other relief material to migrant workers," he added.

He was accompanied by Transport Minister Govind Singh Thakur, Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda and officials of the local administration.