NEW DELHI: New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and sought the release of the compensation for losses incurred in the state during the monsoon of 2023.
He said the state had claimed financial assistance under post-disaster needs assessment but the relief "is still awaited from the Central government".
Sukhu apprised the Home Minister that the state had suffered heavy losses due to rains, severely affecting drinking water, irrigation schemes, infrastructure, roads and bridges, and needing relief and rehabilitation measures. However, the state has so far managed from its own resources.
The Chief Minister also discussed various other issues pertaining to the state, an official statement said.
The Union Home Minister assured all possible assistance.
Additional Chief Secretary and Secretary, Revenue, Onkar Chand Sharma was also present on the occasion.
Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhu had said the state received Rs 633 crore from the Central government, which was just 6.40 per cent of the total estimated loss of Rs 9, 905 crore. In a statement in the House last year, the Chief Minister had said 500 people had lost their lives due to massive devastation caused by heavy rain.
Asking the opposition BJP to accompany him to apprise the Prime Minister about the actual loss and to seek more Central assistance to carry out relief and rehabilitation work in disaster-hit areas, Sukhu had said an interim relief of Rs 200 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund was released on September 16 last year. "At least Rs 1, 658 crore is supposed to be sanctioned to the state. But, the Government of India has sanctioned only Rs 633.73 crore as on December 19, which is insufficient to compensate for the widespread devastation. The sanctioned amount is only 6.40 per cent of the loss, " he said in December last year.