CHANDIGARH: A central assistance of Rs 2,006.40 crore for Himachal Pradesh for the recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudburst in 2023 has been approved by a high-level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
An official statement stated that a committee, comprising Union finance and Agriculture ministers and the vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog as members, considered the proposal for financial assistance to the State from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The plan will help in carrying out recovery and reconstruction activities, arising due to the damage and destruction occurred during the 2023 monsoon.
Of the assistance, Rs 1,504.80 crore will be the Centre's share from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the NDRF.
In July and August 2023, heavy rains had triggered floods and landslides in the State and over 550 people died during the monsoon season.
The Congress led Himachal Pradesh government has been requesting the Union government to expedite the release of Rs 9,042 crore under post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) for the year 2023-24.
On December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs approved an additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for Himachal Pradesh.
BJP national president and Union Health minister JP Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, said the financial assistance is an important support for disaster victims.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly and former chief minister Jairam Thakur, state BJP president Rajiv Bindal, former Union minister Anurag Thakur thanked the Union government.
The central government had approved a recovery plan of Rs1658.17 crore for Uttarakhand in the aftermath of the Joshimath subsidence and of Rs 555.27 crore for Sikkim in the aftermath of the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) incident of 2023.