Vikramaditya Singh Visits Fire-Affected Banjar Village, Promises Full Government Assistance

Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Tuesday visited Jhanyiar village in the Nohanda Panchayat of Banjar subdivision, Kullu district, to assess the extensive damage caused by a devastating fire that broke out on Monday.

The minister met with the affected families, expressed his condolences, and assured them of all possible assistance from the state government.

According to initial reports, the fire completely destroyed 16 houses, two temples, and four cowsheds, leaving 16 families homeless. The Banjar administration has already provided ₹10,000 in immediate relief to each affected family.

Singh said that Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had directed him to visit the site personally and expedite relief and rehabilitation work. Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, he said the government stood firmly with the victims and that compensation on par with that given to families affected by the Tandi village fire would be provided.

He instructed district officials to submit a detailed damage assessment report at the earliest and ensure that relief measures continue without delay.

Highlighting the logistical challenges in the area, Singh noted that the lack of proper road connectivity to Jhanyiar had hampered relief efforts, worsening the losses. He announced that, despite the village being left out of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (Phase IV) due to population norms, it would soon be connected by road.

The minister also directed the construction of a water storage tank in the village to aid in emergency response during future incidents.