Shimla: Himachal Pradesh government on Monday released Rs 50 crore for immediate clearance of the roads which were blocked or damaged due to rains and landslides in apple belts.
This was aimed to ensure unrestricted movement of the apples to the markets from the apple growing areas of the state.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that work for clearance of roads was being undertaken on a war footing in all apple producing regions to ensure smooth transportation of apple produce to the fruit markets.
“The Public Works Department (PWD) has been instructed to deploy additional men and machinery for the restoration of roads still not through,” he said.
The landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains has caused damage estimated to be around Rs 8000 crore, said the chief minister adding that there has been a lot of damage to life and property as well.
“A central government team had recently visited Himachal Pradesh to take stock of the damages and I am hopeful that the Union government would release the first installment of interim relief to the State soon”, said Sukhu.
He reiterated that all the states get such assistance from the Union government every year in the month of July and December and Himachal Pradesh has been provided both the installments of Rs 180 crores each while no funds have been released as a special package for relief and rehabilitation to the state which suffered huge loss during the recent rains and floods.
Sukhu said that the government stands with all the families in this hour of distress and has also provided special relief packages to the affected.
He said that by bringing changes in the relief manual, a compensation of one lakh rupees each is being provided for damaged property (houses) as interim relief besides the relief package has been increased many fold for the death of milch cattle viz: cow, buffalo from Rs 37,500 to Rs 55,000. Apart from this, the financial assistance of Rs 4000 on the death of sheep and goats has also been increased to Rs 6000.
Meanwhile the Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi in a meeting to review and assessed the impact of the recent floods in the worst-hit districts of Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti stressed the need for restoration and relief measures at the fastest pace.
The meeting was attended by the deputy commissioners of the flood hit districts beside senior officials of the revenue department including principal secretary Onkar Sharma.
The meeting was convened to further evaluate the extent of damage caused by this crisis and formulate appropriate relief measures to support the affected families and communities.
During the meeting, Negi underscored the vital importance of expeditious and efficient relief measures to aid those who have been displaced or adversely impacted by the floods.
He issued clear instructions to adhere to the special package norms as notified by the state government related to relief and to mobilize all available resources, ensuring the timely provision of necessary assistance.
In addition to addressing immediate needs of the displaced and the affected, the meeting served as a platform for officials to deliberate on long-term rehabilitation plans and strategies to mitigate the impact of future disasters.
He provided suggestions to expedite the complete restoration of electricity and water supply schemes besides restoration and repair of damaged roads.
The Revenue minister gave directions for efficient implementation of Himachal Pradesh Public Service Guarantee Act, 2011 and sensitizing people about the same.