Shimla, Jun 18 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi on Wednesday said the Rs 2,000-crore central aid for the state to overcome the losses caused by the 2023 floods and landslides is too little and too less.
The BJP, however, said the aid will provide relief to those affected by the disaster.
Earlier on Wednesday, a high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved Rs 2,006.40 crore in central assistance for Himachal Pradesh for recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods, landslides and cloudburst of 2023.
Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in the hill state in July and August 2023, killing about 550 people during the monsoon season. The Himachal Pradesh government had sought central assistance of Rs 9,042 crore under Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for 2023-24.
Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi told PTI that the central teams had estimated the losses in the state’s worst monsoon disaster of 2023 to be around Rs 10,000 crore. The Centre approving Rs 2,000 crore after two years is too less and too late, he said.
Accusing the Centre of giving step-motherly treatment to the Congress-ruled state, Negi said other states received budgetary allocations for disasters while Himachal Pradesh has received a small amount as aid.
BJP national president and Union Health Minister Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for the financial aid.
The financial assistance is an important support for the disaster-affected people in dealing with the crisis and will provide them relief, Nadda said in a statement.
Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jairam Thakur, state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal, former Union minister Anurag Thakur, and former chief ministers and state presidents of the party also thanked the Centre.
They also said several steps have been taken to prevent any major loss of life and property during disasters by strengthening the disaster risk reduction system in India. PTI BPL DIV DIV
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