Centre Gave Rs 633.73 Crore Disaster Relief To Himachal Pradesh Of Rs 9,905 Crore: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said the Central government gave Rs 633.73 crore to the state for disaster relief against the loss of Rs 9,905 crore mentioned in the memorandum of losses.

Making a suo moto statement in the Vidhan Sabha, Sukhu said the relief of Rs 633.73 crore, including the interim relief of Rs 200 crore, has been sanctioned by the Centre under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) which was too inadequate to cover for the losses.

He said that the Central government had released Rs 397.78 crore on Dec. 19.

"Even if the relief was calculated at the minimum rates, the amount would have been Rs 1,658 crore," said Sukhu, adding that the state government was expecting a relief of Rs 2,000 crore but even the NDRF norms were not followed.

The chief minister said that the state government had mentioned losses of Rs 9,905 crore in the memorandum of losses sent to the Centre on Sept. 23, 2023.

He added that the report of the post disaster need assessment conducted by the state in coordination with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) pegging losses at Rs 9,020 crore was also sent to the Central government on Nov. 25, 2023.

Sukhu said that he did not expect any special package from the Centre but would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard soon.

He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs were scared of meeting the prime minister and the home minister.

The chief minister said that over 500 persons lost their lives due to heavy rains but adequate relief was not given.

Sukhu had earlier maintained that the state had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore due to disaster during the monsoon season.

Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, while objecting to the chief minister's statement said that the state government, which has raised loans worth Rs 12,000 crore, was trying to blame the Centre with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The state government has not uttered a single word of thanks for the Central government, said Thakur, adding such an attitude does not augur well for seeking help in future.