Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Dehradun to review relief and rescue operations in the disaster-ravaged parts of Uttarakhand and announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,200 crore for the affected areas.
Apart from this, further assistance will also be considered based on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial team which visited the affected areas of the state recently to assess the extent of damage caused by the natural calamities.
The prime minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those left injured in a series of natural calamities that hit various districts of the hill state this monsoon.
He announced comprehensive support under the PM CARES for Children scheme to children orphaned due to the recent floods and landslides in the state.
PM Modi reached Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport where he was received by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas in Uttarakhand but it had to be cancelled due to bad weather, an official here said.
However, Modi met the affected families here and offered his condolences.
He interacted with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and disaster volunteers who lent a helping hand at ground zero during the disasters and praised their efforts.
The central government assures full support for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected regions, he said.
“Chaired a review meeting on the flood situation in Uttarakhand. The devastation caused by floods in the state has saddened us all. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
“I pray that the people injured recover at the earliest. We are ensuring swift relief, rehabilitation and long-term measures to support those affected,” Modi said in a post on X.
The PM emphasised the need for a multi-dimensional approach to help the entire region and its people recover from the effects of the disaster.
This would include measures such as rebuilding homes under the PM Awas Yojana, restoring national highways, reconstructing schools, providing relief through the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and distributing mini kits for livestock, he said.
“Met the teams of NDRF, SDRF, Aapda Mitras (disaster volunteers) and others who are working across Uttarakhand, providing assistance to all those who have been affected. I am very proud of their courage as well as dedication towards helping others in these testing circumstances,” Modi said.