Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution with full backing of the opposition, seeking grant from centre for losses due to incessant rains, flash floods and landslides across the State.
After the first day of Monsoon session was washed out in uproar by the opposition which demanded debate on flood losses, the Government on Thursday brought in a resolution after a truce was brokered between ruling and opposition for the smooth conduct of the House.
Revenue minister Thakur Kaul Singh on Thursday tabled a resolution which was passed unanimously after a debate in which opposition BJP MlAs participated suggesting some changes.
The resolution sought aid of Rs. 1972.08 crores from the Centre as per the memorandum submitted by state revenue department earlier and sought all possible help to overcome the losses in the state.
Tabling the resolution, Kaul Singh said that it was indeed a very big tragedy for the state and people need to stand unitedly to help those in distress.
The Revenue minister said that though state government with its limited resources tried to reach out to the people who faced enormous losses in the incessant rains but lot needs to be done and House needs to pass the resolution, seeking aid from the Centre.
“State experienced incessant rains from June 15 to 17, coupled with cloudbursts at several places. The state experienced an unprecedented heavy rainfall, which was 576 percent to 1358 percent above the normal during these three days,” said Thakur with Kinnaur and Sirmour districts being the worst affected districts in the state.
According to Thakur Kaul Singh, till Thursday morning, 53 persons have lost their lives in the state due to rains with Kinnaur district reporting 23 deaths, seven deaths in Shimla district, seven in Kangra, five in Sirmour, six in Mandi, three in Kullu, one each in Hamirpur and Chamba.
He said that 24,224 animals including sheep, goat, cattle and mules have perished and 6559 housing structures including Pucca and Kuchha houses were fully or partially damaged.
“A total of 4377 roads in the state have been affected resulting in huge losses and disruption of normal life. There are reports of damage caused to standing crops and extensive damage to fruit crops in the district of Kinnaur and some other parts of the state,” said Thakur.
He added that total cumulative losses suffered by the state have been estimated as Rs 2892 crore and the revenue department had submitted a memorandum of Rs. 1972.08 crore to the ministry of home affairs and central team has already inspected several areas of the state,” added Thakur.
From the BJP side, MlA Mahendra Singh, MlA Rajiv Bindal while from Congress side power and agriculture minister Sujjan Singh Pathania were among the few who participated in the debate.
After the debate in which the total of 27 MlAs participated from both the ruling and opposition and later the resolution was passed by the house unanimously.