CM provides major relief to disaster-affected families, distributes Rs. 81 Crore in assistance

SHIMLA, 10.11.25-Providing significant relief to disaster-affected families, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today distributed Rs. 81.28 crore to 4,914 beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) during a function held at Paddal Ground, Mandi.

A total of 1,513 beneficiaries whose houses were completely damaged received the first installment of Rs. 4 lakh each out of Rs. 7 lakh. Among them, 781 beneficiaries are from Mandi district, 631 from Kullu and 101 from Bilaspur. Additionally, 3,401 beneficiaries whose houses were partially damaged received Rs. 1 lakh each, including 1,547 from Mandi, 1,541 from Kullu and 313 from Bilaspur District.

So far, Rs. 14.46 crore in relief assistance has already been distributed to 4,375 affected families in Mandi district. The state government is currently implementing 27 disaster mitigation projects in Mandi with a total outlay of Rs. 72 crore. Furthermore, the State Executive Committee has approved five more projects estimated at Rs. 18.84 crore, while proposals for seven additional mitigation projects are being prepared.

CM launches “Madhu Mandav” initiative

The Chief Minister also launched the Madhu Mandav initiative in Mandi district, which will primarily operate in disaster-affected areas of the district to encourage families to take up beekeeping as a source of livelihood. Along with financial assistance, beneficiaries will be provided with training and support to set up beekeeping units. The honey produced under this program will be marketed under the brand name Him-Era Mandav.

Support for Orphaned Child

During the event, the Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs. 7.95 lakh to Nikita, a young girl who lost her parents in the floods at Panglyur in the Seraj Assembly constituency. He also announced an additional financial assistance of Rs. 21 lakh for her. He said that daughters like Nikita are not alone anymore and the state government stands with them.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, MLAs Chander Shekhar and Anil Sharma, former Ministers Kaul Singh Thakur, Rangila Ram Rao and Prakash Chaudhary, former CPS Sohan Lal Thakur, Chairman APMC Mandi Sanjeev Guleria, Vice Chairman H.P. Civil Supplies Corporation Vishal Chambial and senior Congress leaders including Jeevan Thakur, Pawan Thakur, Vijay Pal Singh, Lal Singh Kaushal, Jagdish Reddy, Chet Ram Thakur, Naresh Chauhan, Vivek Kumar, Mahesh Raj, Champa Thakur and Vijay Kanav, along with Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan and Superintendent of Police Sakshi Verma were present on the occasion.

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‘Atmanirbhar Himachal’ not just a slogan, it’s our passion: CM

· State seeking centre’s approval to rehabilitate disaster victims on forest land

· No financial aid of Rs. 1,500 crore received from centre: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while addressing a gathering at Paddal Ground at Mandi today, announced that the financial assistance for those who lost their belongings during natural disasters would be raised from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. Despite limited resources, the state government was steadfastly moving toward making Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant state.

He 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 encased assistance to Rs. 1 lakh for partially damaged houses.”

Accusing the BJP of politicizing relief efforts, the Sh. 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.

Sh. Sukhu said that in the year 2023, the state government had provided assistance to 28,311 disaster-affected people. “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, they allotted 5,000 bighas of land to big industrialists for just Rs. 14 lakh under a customized 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 said the state government restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to secure the future of its employees, despite 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 21^st 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 on the occasion 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 make public 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.

He criticized the Centre, saying, “The Prime Minister, who calls Himachal as his second home, has not provided any relief to the disaster victims. The Rs. 1,500 crore aid has not reached Shimla from Delhi even after months.” He added that the BJP did not support the demand to declare the Himachal disaster a national calamity. “The Chief Minister repeatedly invited them to Delhi to seek financial help, but they refused. Himachal has seven BJP MPs, yet none of them had the courage to seek help from the Centre for disaster victims,” he said.

Sh. Dharmani praised Sh. Sukhu’s dedication, stating that he personally reached 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 said that Himachal Pradesh has been facing unprecedented natural disasters for 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 emphasized 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.

Former Minister Kaul Singh Thakur and MLA Anil Sharma also spoke on the occasion.