Himachal received just Rs 433 cr from Centre as disaster relief: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh received only Rs 433.70 crore as disaster relief from the Centre in 2023 while the state government released Rs 4,495.43 crore to tackle the catastrophe, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the state assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to a debate on damage and loss due to monsoon disaster, Sukhu said the state suffered losses amounting Rs 9,000 crore during monsoon in 2023 and that he would again meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand compensation for the loss.

The debate under Rule 130 (motion to consider policy, situation, statement, report or any other matter) was initiated by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

 

Under the relief package announced by the state government for relief and rehabilitation, Rs 847.73 crore were released under the heads of national and state disaster relief fund, he said.

The CM added that Rs 1,871.75 crore was given by the Finance Department, Rs 1,085 crore by Rural Development department, Rs 146.97 crore by Planning Department and Rs 150 crore from CM relief fund. He also said the government announced Rs 7 lakh for a damaged and destroyed house.

The affected people who have not received the compensation can apply to concerned SDM and get the money, he added.

He said that the Larji hydropower project suffered a loss of Rs 600 crore but no compensation has been given.

Moving the resolution, LoP Thakur said the state suffers losses due to natural disasters every year and people from unsafe areas are shifted to safer places. Some solid measures need to be taken and surveys be conducted regarding natural disasters so that the people remain safe, he added.

Alleging nepotism in relief distribution in 2023, Thakur said the state government had announced Rs 7 lakh each for repair/reconstruction of damaged houses but most of the affected people received only Rs 1 lakh and not a single person got three biswa land.

Alleging that the relief and rehabilitation measures taken by the government were inadequate and the preventive steps required before the onset of monsoon were not taken, Thakur said 500 people lost their lives, 2,933 houses were completely destroyed, 420 shops and 7,205 cowsheds were damaged, and 10,140 cattle perished during the monsoon last year.

Even during the ongoing monsoon, 70 people have died, he said.

Congress member Chander Shekhar said many people died in monsoon this year but the chief minister stood by affected people and serious discussions are required on this important issue.

Surinder Shourie of BJP suggested that a policy should be formulated by gauging the rise in water levels and constructions should be completely banned up to this level.

Anuradha Rana (Congress) said the disaster management is a serious matter and there is a need to formulate a policy.

Rana further said that several villages in her Lahaul and Spiti district are on the verge of extinction and warrant rehabilitation. The problem is man-made which can also be linked to global warming, she added.