CHANDIGARH: The Union government approved Rs 200 crore as advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Himachal Pradesh to help it with relief measures for the rain-affected people.
However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the current relief manual of the Centre’s financial provisions is inadequate to compensate for the loss to the hill state. He called for a specially tailored relief package considering the state’s geographical conditions and the severity of the disaster.
Sukhu called for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies.
BJP chief JP Nadda said his home state has suffered huge losses due to heavy rains and that the Centre would make all efforts to rehabilitate the displaced in the state. Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the Rs 200-crore aid.
In an official statement, MHA said, “The government is monitoring the situation in HP around the clock, and providing necessary logistics and financial help to the state government to deal with the situation efficiently. So far 20 NDRF (HQ) teams, nine columns of the Indian Army, 3 teams of Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed in Himachal for rescue and relief work.”
It said the Centre, without waiting for a memorandum, has also deputed inter-ministerial Central teams, to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and relief work being carried out by the HP government, which visited affected areas from July 19 to 21. Nadda visited the damaged Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill in Shimla. The area suffered a massive landslide on August 14. The landslip also damaged Krishnanagar, destroying several houses and a slaughterhouse.
In Shimla, 17 people have died at Shiv Mandir, five in Fagli, and two in Krishnanagar. Nadda said three senior BJP leaders are touring the state to take stock of the situation. The three leaders are Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, former CM Jairam Thakur and HP BJP chief Rajiv Bindal.
Nadda, who began his tour of rains-hit Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur said, “I am pained to see the devastation and loss of human lives. I promise all help for the rehabilitation of the displaced people. Efforts are afoot by the state to provide relief and take up restoration and rehabilitation works. Central help would continue and all those displaced would be rehabilitated.’’
21 of 23 hydel projects fail dam safety norms
Himachal Pradesh government will soon prepare a detailed report on rain-related damages and probe how negligence by dam authorities caused devastation in the state. Authorities in fault will also face legal action. A total of 21 out of the 23 operational hydel projects in the hill state with did not comply with the dam safety norms and the Central Water Commission guidelines. Recently, Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena chaired a meeting on safety issues