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Shimla:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a financial assistance package of ₹1,500 crore for Himachal Pradesh, which has been battered by one of the worst spells of rain, floods and landslides in recent decades.
He also declared an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives and ₹50,000 for the injured.
The announcement followed the PM’s aerial survey of the severely affected Mandi and Kullu districts. Later, in Kangra, he chaired a high-level meeting with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, and senior officials to take stock of the ground situation. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and BJP state president Rajiv Bindal were also present at the Gaggal airport, where the PM was received.
Centre’s Immediate Relief
The Officials said the ₹1,500-crore package will be disbursed to restore public infrastructure and support relief and rehabilitation efforts. The PM’s ex-gratia announcement for victims comes as a part of the Centre’s ongoing humanitarian response to the calamity. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Punjab later in the day, where he will undertake an aerial survey of flood-affected districts and hold a review meeting in Gurdaspur.
Losses Cross ₹4,500 Crore, Hundreds Dead
According to the state government, Himachal Pradesh has already suffered losses worth over ₹4,500 crore this monsoon season. Since June 20, the state has witnessed 136 landslides, 95 flash floods, and 45 cloudbursts, causing large-scale destruction of public and private property. The disaster has claimed 370 lives, with 41 people still missing. The Public Works Department (PWD) has borne the brunt, as hundreds of roads and bridges have been washed away or severely damaged.
Infrastructure in Ruins
Even as relief operations continue, 615 roads remain closed, including four national highways. Around 1,748 electricity transformers are still out of service, while 461 water supply schemes remain disrupted, crippling both urban and rural life.
