Union ministers visiting rain-hit areas merely to gain political mileage: Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today accused Central ministers of visiting rain-affected areas of the state merely to gain political mileage. He said that they should also announce relief packages from their respective ministries to help Himachal in this difficult time.

Sukhu, while talking to mediapersons here, said that BJP leaders should urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release a special financial package for the state at the earliest so that the affected families could be provided financial assistance in time. “The state government has received only Rs 400 crore as Post Disaster Need Assessment for 2023 as regards Rs 1,500 crore losses suffered,” he added

He said that the Prime Minister had during his recent visit announced Rs 1,500 crore assistance for helping the affected families devastated by torrential rain this year, but it was still uncertain whether this amount was part of the special relief package or was scheme-based assistance. He added that the state government was providing relief to the affected families from its limited resources and restoring damaged roads, irrigation and water supply schemes on a war footing.

Sukhu said that torrential rain had caused substantial losses during the current monsoon season compared to 2023. He added that Himachal had suffered Rs 20,000 crore losses over the past three years due to natural disasters.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister took stock of the situation from the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts and directed them to take necessary and immediate actions to mitigate the impact of the natural disaster. He emphasised the need for shifting people living in unsafe buildings to secure locations and avert any untoward incident and ensure their safety.

Sukhu directed the authorities concerned to restore damaged roads and water supply schemes in the affected areas on priority so that people did not have to face inconvenience further. He added that essential commodities must also be made available in the affected areas. He also asked the administrative officers to provide timely help and support to people living in distress.

The Chief Minister said that this year’s receding monsoon had caused widespread devastation across the state, leading to loss of valuable lives and vital infrastructure such as electricity, water supply, roads. Private properties were also damaged by heavy rain, flashfloods, cloudbursts and landslides. This was a clear indication of the adverse impact of climate change, he added.

Sukhu said that the state ministers were actively present on the ground and monitoring the relief and rehabilitation operations, while he had been in constant touch with district administrations. He added that Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri visited the disaster-affected areas of Dharampur in Mandi district and informed him that HRTC buses had suffered damage to the tune of a more than Rs 6 crore.