In a letter faxed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, Pradesh Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said at a time when Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is making efforts on a war footing to provide relief to affected people and reconstruct damaged infrastructure across the state, an assistance of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre is a must.
In a situation like this when the state has been struck by the worst tragedy in its history, a package of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre is not just a necessity but a compulsive need, he said.