Not a single package was received from the Center for disaster: Dharmani

Technical Education and Town Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani today hit back at BJP leaders and said that BJP’s contribution in the terrible disaster that hit Himachal Pradesh last year was zero. Dharmani said that the Central Government did not give a single package to the disaster-affected people of Himachal Pradesh in the name of a special relief package. He said that the present government under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh provided a package of Rs 4500 crore to the affected people from its limited resources, which provided great relief to them in these difficult times.

He said that to rehabilitate the disaster-affected people, the state government changed the relief and rehabilitation rules that had been in place for years, because the compensation amount given as per the old rules was much less. Even with this modest relief, no disaster-affected person can rebuild his house. However, the present state government adopted a humanitarian approach and set an example for the entire country by making a historic increase in the compensation amount.

Rajesh Dharmani said that the present state government with its limited resources has rehabilitated about 25,000 disaster-affected families of the state. Under the relief package, the assistance amount of Rs 1.30 lakh if ​​the house is completely damaged was increased to Rs 7 lakh. The compensation amount for partially damaged houses was increased from Rs 6000 to Rs 1 lakh. Not only this, a historic increase was also made in the compensation for damage caused to cowsheds, livestock, and agricultural land. Along with this, LPG connection and food items were provided free of cost till March 31, 2024, for the rehabilitation of the affected people. He said that cement was also made available at government rates for the reconstruction of houses.

The Technical Education Minister said that such a relief package was given for the first time in the history of the state and it is the most generous package given to the affected people in the event of any disaster. He said that BJP only played politics during the disaster and by not supporting the assembly resolution to declare the disaster in the state as a national disaster, it rubbed salt into the wounds of the disaster-affected people. He said that in the time of the disaster, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu kept meeting the Union Ministers repeatedly to get a special relief package from the Centre, whereas the three BJP MPs did not even once raise this issue with the Parliament and the Prime Minister. He said that those who have no contribution in helping the disaster-affected people are not entitled to ask questions to the state government. He said that the people of the state know who stood with them during the disaster.