Himachal News: Announcement of releasing financial assistance in Union Budget 2024 to compensate for the extensive losses caused by last year’s devastating floods
Himachal Disaster
Shimla, July 24: In a significant move aimed at reconstruction and rehabilitation of Himachal Pradesh, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the release of financial assistance in the Union Budget 2024 to compensate for the extensive losses caused by last year’s devastating floods. The announcement is meant to provide much-needed relief to the region, which faced severe devastation during the rainy season.
Presenting the annual budget, Minister Sitharaman highlighted the massive losses suffered by Himachal Pradesh due to floods and landslides. She underlined the central government’s commitment to assist the state in its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. The financial assistance will be facilitated through multilateral development assistance, which will focus on repairing and rebuilding critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings damaged during the disaster. Additionally, individuals who have suffered personal losses will also benefit from this assistance.
The budget also includes provisions for assistance to Assam, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, which have faced similar natural disasters. However, the emphasis on Himachal Pradesh’s devastation underlines the scale of the disaster that struck the state last year. The Himachal Pradesh government had initially sought about Rs 9,000 crore from the central government, along with a special relief package and declaring the situation a national disaster.
A central team had assessed the damage in Himachal Pradesh and reported an initial loss figure of around Rs 3,000 crore to the central government based on the central relief manual. However, the state government has consistently argued that the assessments were not accurate as per the central government’s disaster relief manual. Despite these discrepancies, the Union Budget has provided a platform for Himachal Pradesh to receive adequate assistance to overcome its losses.
Though the exact amount of assistance allocated to Himachal Pradesh was not specified in the budget, the announcement has opened the way for the state government to press for wider support from the Centre. This financial assistance is expected to play a key role in recovery and reconstruction efforts in disaster-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh.
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