To give relief package, state government needs Centre’s help: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that the state government would soon announce a special relief package for the disaster-affected families after discussions in the Cabinet.

Sukhu, while talking to mediapersons here, said that the state government had limited resources and it was not possible to compensate the flood-affected people for the losses and damage suffered without liberal help from the Union Government. Therefore, the state had sought a special relief package from the Union Government to support efforts to rehabilitate the families, which had lost their homes, agricultural land and livelihoods.

He said, “The monsoon has just begun and has a long way to go in the season. So, we must remain vigilant throughout its course.” He added that discussions were also held with Union Health Minister JP Nadda, who had assured to consider all demands of the state sympathetically.

Sukhu said, “We do not want credit and the state government is ready to meet with anyone for the welfare of disaster-hit people.” He added that he had also urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit the disaster-affected areas to personally assess the situation. “The Union Home Minister has assured me that he will visit the affected areas shortly,” he claimed.

The Chief Minister said that during his New Delhi visit, he had taken up several key issues with the Union ministers, including a request to allow the allotment of five bighas under the Forest Rights Act to rehabilitate the affected families suitably.

Sukhu said that he had also met with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and urged him to expedite critical infrastructure projects, including the Bhubhu Jot tunnel project, to benefit the people of the state. He added, “I also discussed with Nitin Gadkari the issue of a collapsed building at Dhalli in Shimla and he promised to compensate the affected family suitably.”

He said that the state government had urged the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to focus on tunnelling for the construction of the Shimla-Shalaghat package of the Shimla-Mataur four-lane highway for the fast implementation of the Nalagarh-Pinjore and Nalagarh-Gara Maur road projects. “I have also asked Nitin Gadkari for the extension of the Dhalli-Sainj four-lane road up to Rampur,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that he had also met with the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, Dr Arvind Panagariya, and urged him to support the state in its recommendations keeping in view the prevalent conditions here.

Axing of apple trees ‘inappropriate’

The state government is of the view that the axing of fruit-laden apple trees is inappropriate and the High Court of Himachal should give ample time to it to auction the apple produce. I will hold a meeting with the Horticulture Minister and senior officers to explore the legal aspects of this issue. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister