CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State government would seek the approval of the Central Government for the rehabilitation of disaster-affected families on forestland as part of a one-time settlement policy.
Sukhu, during his three-day visit to Mandi district, visited various disaster-affected areas of Seraj and Nachan assembly constituencies and took stock of the damage caused due to heavy rains and cloudburst events.
Talking to the media at Sundernagar in Mandi, CM Sukhu said that the government was considering bringing a one-time settlement policy to resettle disaster-affected families.
In this regard, he will seek permission from the Central Government to give forest land to the people so that they can be settled in a safer place.
"As 68 per cent of land in Himachal Pradesh falls under forest land, the permission of the Central Government will be sought to rehabilitate people there,” he said.
He urged the BJP MPs of the State to support the State government's proposal. Sukhu said that the government acted swiftly to restore essential services in the affected areas and added that the government has opened almost all the major roads in these areas, and the work of opening the link roads of the disaster-affected area was going on war footing.
He said that 50 JCB machines were engaged to open the roads of the affected areas from the very first day of the disaster. He said that the road up to Chail Chowk, Bagsyad, Thunag, Janjehli and Chhatri would be brought under CRIF so that it could be made a composite road.
He said that the road and bridges from Thunag to Janjehli have suffered extensive damage. At present, it has been restored temporarily and there will be no shortage of funds for restoration works.
The government has so far released Rs 7 crore rupees for relief and rescue works so that the restoration work can be accelerated further, he stated.
He said that the Deputy CM and PWD Minister had already visited and assessed the damages in the disaster-affected areas. Sukhu said that there has been an unprecedented loss in these areas and the government and the district administration were providing relief and other materials to the affected families day and night.
He said that livestock, crops and vegetables have also suffered a lot due to the disaster. He said that the State government would provide compensation to affected families for purchasing clothes and for loss of livestock besides all possible help from its own resources.
Sukhu said that in the next two days, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani would be in the disaster affected areas and will take stock of the relief and rescue operations there.
He said that if the affected families live in rented houses, the state government will give them Rs 5000 per month rent in rural areas and Rs 10,000 per month rent in urban areas.
He also said that heavy rains have also caused a lot of damage in the Dharampur area of Mandi district and MLA Chandrashekhar was helping the people in relief and rescue operations.