The Himachal Pradesh government is mulling a settlement policy for disaster-affected families. On the second day of his visit to the disaster-affected areas of the Seraj Assembly Constituency, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited Thunag, Bagsiad, Deji, Bara, and Syanj villages to review the damage caused by recent cloudbursts and assured the victims of all possible support from the state government.
He announced an immediate relief amount of seven crore rupees for the disaster-affected areas. Earlier, two crore rupees had already been released, and an additional two crore rupees each will be given to the Public Works and Jal Shakti Departments.
One crore rupees will also be provided to the Block Development Office to expedite restoration work.
In Deji village, eleven people remain missing due to a cloudburst. Two deaths were reported from Bara and four from Syanj, with five more people missing. The Chief Minister prayed for the departed souls and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
At Pakhrar Panchayat Ghar, he interacted with residents, listened to their grievances, and directed revenue officers to assess all types of losses immediately.
He instructed that residential buildings filled with silt or rocks or deemed unsafe should be declared completely damaged so that eligible families can receive maximum compensation.
The government will also compensate for damaged household goods and livestock. Special instructions were given to assess the losses of horticulturists and apple growers. The state Cabinet will soon discuss and announce a special relief package for all those affected.
The Chief Minister acknowledged the magnitude of the disaster and said rehabilitation would take time but assured full government support.
While in Bara, he said that the government was considering a one-time settlement policy to resettle disaster-hit families.
Since 68 percent of Himachal Pradesh’s land is forested, permission from the Central Government would be sought for rehabilitation on forest land.
To ensure that students’ education is not disrupted, the Chief Minister announced that temporary classes of the Forestry and Horticulture College in Thunag would be conducted in Sundernagar, Mandi district.
He said that while major roads have been reopened, efforts to restore village link roads are ongoing at a war footing. At Thunag Rest House, NCC cadets helping in relief efforts met the Chief Minister.
He appreciated their dedication and service to humanity. When informed by school girls about damage to their school, he promised to open a CBSE-affiliated school in Thunag.
He also met with SDRF personnel and praised their commitment. Brigadier Yajuvendra Singh of the Indian Army briefed him on the relief operations and confirmed the deployment of 26 army personnel in the region.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, Home Guards, and volunteers from various organizations for their selfless service during the crisis.