Una MLA Satpal Satti hails PM’s relief package, says more funds may be granted

Local MLA Satpal Singh Satti today thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for doing an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh and announcing an immediate relief package of Rs 1,500 crore for rebuilding damaged public infrastructure.

Satti, while addressing mediapersons at the BJP office here, said that after the aerial survey, the Prime Minister met with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, besides officers and discussed in detail the damage caused to public and private properties during the ongoing monsoon season. He added that Modi immediately announced the first installment of the relief package and assured the Chief Minister that teams from various departments of the Union Government were making their own assessments and more assistance would be given to the state, if needed.

He said that the Prime Minister also announced a relief of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the rain disaster and Rs 50,000 to those injured. He added that the Prime Minister even agreed to consider reviewing the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act to help provide forestland for residential purpose in adjoining areas to accommodate those whose houses were washed away or buried under the landslide.

Satti said that the Prime Minister had ordered the geo-tagging of all houses that had been destroyed to ascertain losses from satellite imagery. He added that it was unfortunate that some people in the state government were terming the Prime Minister’s announcement of relief as meager.

He said that the state government’s efforts in mitigating the sufferings of the affected people were too less. He added that instead of criticising the Prime Minister and the Central Government, the state government should find ways to mitigate and check such disasters from happening in the future. The Central Government led by Narendra Modi had always helped Himachal generously, he claimed.