Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 11 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced a significant hike in financial assistance for families affected by natural disasters, raising the aid for partial loss from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. The announcement was made during a public gathering at Paddal Ground in Mandi, said the release.
Despite limited resources, the state government was steadfastly moving toward making Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant state, the release said.
Sukhu stressed that "Atmanirbhar Himachal" was not a political slogan but the passion and commitment of his government. The state had adopted 6,000 orphan children as "Children of the State" and was providing financial assistance for the higher education of widow's children. He added that the government was making every possible effort to assist disaster-affected families from its limited resources in view of the widespread destruction this year.
The Chief Minister said, "Building a house takes a lifetime for a family, how can Rs. 1.30 lakh be enough as compensation? The Union Government provides only this amount for rebuilding a house, but I come from a common family and understand the common people's plight. That is why we raised the compensation for fully damaged houses from Rs. 1.30 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh and increased assistance to Rs. 1 lakh for partially damaged houses."
Accusing the BJP of politicising relief efforts, Sukhu said that it would have been better if all the BJP MLAs from Mandi district had attended the event despite being invited. "The BJP leaders are insensitive to the suffering of the common man, and their only aim is to do politics and spread lies," he remarked.
He stated that even two months after the Prime Minister's announcement, Himachal Pradesh had not received any financial help. "I am ready to go to Delhi under the leadership of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. I have no ego, my only goal is to help disaster victims," he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated his repeated requests to the Centre to allow the rehabilitation of disaster-affected families on forest land.
Sukhu stated that in 2023, the state government provided assistance to 28,311 disaster-affected individuals. "At that time, I had not been Chief Minister for long, but we faced the disaster together. When 300 tourists were stranded in Chandertal lake, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi himself went there in a JCB machine to rescue them. This shows the sensitivity of the Congress Government," he said.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was working to strengthen the rural economy. The procurement price for cow's milk had been raised to Rs. 51 per litre and for buffalo's milk to Rs. 61 per litre. The government was also procuring naturally grown wheat, maize, barley and raw turmeric from farmers to enhance their income. The present government earned Rs 450 crore in a single year by auctioning liquor contracts transparently, whereas the previous BJP government misused public funds.
"The BJP government built buildings worth Rs. 1,000 crore across the state merely to benefit contractors. In Baddi-Nalagarh, 5,000 bighas of land were allotted to big industrialists for just Rs. 14 lakh under a customised package; yet, not a single industry has come up there. The real market value of that land is Rs 5,000 crore," he added.
The Chief Minister stated that the state government reinstated the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to secure the future of its employees, despite the restrictions imposed as a result. "I am the son of a government employee, and I have pledged that as long as I am Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh will remain under OPS," he affirmed.
He stated that the state government was making significant strides in education and healthcare. "During the BJP regime, Himachal Pradesh ranked 21st in terms of quality education, but today, due to reforms, we have reached the 5th position. The government was establishing 100 CBSE-based schools in the government sector," he said.
He added that people of the state were spending Rs. 1,000 crore annually for receiving treatment in neighbouring states, but that was changing. "Robotic surgery has started at Tanda and Chamiyana, and this facility will gradually be expanded to all medical colleges along-with the installation of modern medical equipment," the CM said.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that not only Himachal Pradesh but also Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were hit by natural disasters this year. Yet, the Union Government discriminated against Himachal by providing greater assistance to the BJP-ruled states. He said the state had urged the Centre to revise the relief norms in view of Himachal's tough geographical conditions, but the request was ignored.
"The Chief Minister understood the people's pain and announced the highest compensation package in the country. This special relief package is being implemented across the state to ensure equal support for all affected families, and its rollout has already begun," said the Revenue Minister.
He also highlighted that despite road blockages during the disaster, the HPMC procured a record one lakh tonnes of apples from horticulturists. He demanded that the Leader of the Opposition disclose the funds received during the disaster and accused BJP leaders of misleading the public, even in times of crisis. "Under Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's leadership, the state government is implementing reforms that are improving education, healthcare, and ensuring maximum welfare through available resources," he added.
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani said that the Seraj and Dharampur assembly segments of Mandi district suffered severe losses this year due to disaster, while around 500 families were affected in Bilaspur district, who were now receiving financial assistance.
Dharmani praised CM Sukhu's dedication, stating that he personally reached out to ground zero to help affected people in 2023, despite his health condition. "The Chief Minister is bringing a systemic change that will make Himachal Pradesh truly self-reliant," he asserted.
MLA Chander Shekhar stated that Himachal Pradesh has been experiencing unprecedented natural disasters over the past three years. He said all departments acted swiftly under the Chief Minister's direction to accelerate relief and rehabilitation efforts to help people who have lost their livelihoods and even their land.
He emphasised the urgent need for environmental conservation, warning that global warming's impacts are becoming visible and worrisome. "Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu demonstrated great sensitivity by increasing the relief amount from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The Centre has announced Rs. 1,500 crore in aid, but even after 45 days, not a single rupee has reached Himachal Pradesh. Despite these challenges, the state government continues to deliver relief to disaster-hit families," he said.