He urged BJP leaders to impress upon the Prime Minister to release a special financial package for Himachal Pradesh at the earliest so that affected families could receive timely assistance.
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while interacting with the media here on Tuesday, said that Central Ministers were visiting disaster-affected areas of the state merely for political mileage. He added that they should also announce concrete relief packages from their respective ministries.
He urged BJP leaders to impress upon the Prime Minister to release a special financial package for Himachal Pradesh at the earliest so that affected families could receive timely assistance.
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The Chief Minister pointed out that the state had so far received only ₹400 crore out of the ₹1,500 crore recommended under the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) of 2023.
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He further noted that although the Prime Minister had announced ₹1,500 crore for families devastated by this year’s torrential rains, it remains unclear whether this amount is part of a special relief package or scheme-based assistance.
Sukhu said that despite limited resources, the state government was extending relief to affected families and restoring damaged roads, irrigation channels, and water supply schemes on a war footing.
He emphasized that this year’s monsoon had caused far greater losses than the disaster of 2023, with damages worth about ₹20,000 crore reported in the state over the last three years due to various calamities.
He added that the receding monsoon this year had left behind widespread devastation, causing irreparable loss of lives and heavy damage to electricity, water supply, roads, and private properties. This, he stressed, was a clear indication of the adverse impacts of climate change.
The Chief Minister stated that Ministers of the State Government were actively monitoring relief and rehabilitation operations on the ground, while he himself was in constant touch with district administrations.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who visited disaster-affected areas of Dharampur in Mandi district, reported damages of more than ₹6 crore to HRTC buses alone.
The Chief Minister mourned the death of three persons killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at Nihri in Mandi district on Monday night.
He said that the state government stood in solidarity with the aggrieved families in this hour of grief and directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of the deceased.
He prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss.
Sukhu also reviewed the situation with the Deputy Commissioners of affected areas and directed them to take immediate measures to mitigate the impact. He emphasized shifting residents of unsafe buildings to secure locations to avert any untoward incident and ensure their safety.
He directed officials to restore damaged roads and water supply schemes in the affected areas on priority so that people do not face inconvenience. He further instructed them to ensure the availability of essential commodities and provide timely assistance to people in distress.
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