Modi visits flood-hit U'khand, announces Rs 1,200-cr financial aid
Pledges support for orphans under PM CARES
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,200 crore for the flood and rain-affected areas of Uttarakhand.
PM Modi reached the Jolly Grant airport at Dehradun, where he was received at the Jolly Grant Airport by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
The PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those left injured in a series of natural calamities that hit various districts of the hill state this monsoon.
He announced comprehensive support under the PM CARES for Children scheme to children orphaned due to the recent floods and landslides in the state. Modi met the affected families and offered his condolences.
He interacted with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and disaster volunteers who lent a helping hand at ground zero during the disasters and praised their efforts.
The central government assures full support for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected regions, he said.
Dhami said in a social media post soon after receiving the PM at the airport, "The Prime Minister's presence in the midst of the affected people at this difficult time of disaster shows his sensitivity towards them." Heavy rains, cloudbursts and landslides have ravaged various parts of Uttarakhand this monsoon including Dharali-Harsil in Uttarkashi, Tharali in Chamoli, Chenagad in Rudraprayag, Sainji in Pauri, Kapkot in Bageshwar and parts of Nainital district.
According to an official estimate, natural disasters in Uttarakhand since April this year have so far claimed 85 lives, injured 128 people and left 94 missing.
The prime minister's visit follows a recent visit by an inter-ministerial team from the Centre to the affected areas of the state to assess the damage.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Uttarakhand from his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, where he met his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam.
On Tuesday, Modi was on a day-long visit to Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to review the flood situation in the two states. He took stock of the flood situation and also conducted aerial surveys of the flood-ravaged areas in the two states.
He announced an immediate relief of Rs 1,500 crore for rain-affected Himachal Pradesh. Modi, who took stock of the flood and landslides situation in the state, also announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He first conducted an aerial survey of affected areas and then held a meeting in Kangra to review the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken as well as assess the damage.
In the meeting with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, BJP leaders, affected families and people engaged in rescue services in Kangra, Modi assured all help for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected areas.
The financial assistance of Rs 1,500 crore will be the advance release of the second instalment of SDRF and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.
Later, in Punjab, PM Modi announced a Rs 1,600-crore assistance for the flood-hit border state. He reviewed the situation and damage in the border state which is battling its worst deluge since 1988.
He announced the assistance for Punjab in addition to the Rs 12,000 crore already in the state's kitty after taking stock of the flood situation and also conducting an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas in the state.
Ahead of the PM's visit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government demanded that Modi announce a relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for the state.
Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured in the floods and natural calamities.
The prime minister acknowledged the gravity of the situation and assured people that the state and the central government would make all efforts to address the situation.
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