SHIMLA/NEW DELHI:  In a series of meetings today, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. He urgently sought financial assistance of Rs 2000 Crore to aid the flood-hit state in recovering from the extensive damage caused by recent incessant rains and flash floods.

CM's visit to Delhi came soon after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's tour of the flood-battered Kullu-Manali region and a Central team's assessment of the damages caused by heavy rains and floods   in Himachal from July 7 to July 12, 2023.

Sukhu expressed gratitude for the Central Committee's assessment and requested prompt release of funds as recommended by the committee.

“The  state would require one to two years to rebuild the damaged infrastructure”, he told Amit Shah in meeting with home in Delhi today.

He highlighted the massive devastation caused by the floods and cloudbursts and demanded an immediate relief of Rs. 2000 crore to facilitate relief and restoration efforts.

He also called for the release of pending amounts under the National and State Disaster Relief Fund for the years 2019-2020, 2020-2021, emphasizing the inadequacy of current relief funds.

The Union Ministers gave a patient hearing and assured the chief minister of all possible assistance in overcoming the crisis.

In another meeting with Union Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Sukhu advocated for the construction of an airstrip at Rangrik in Spiti Valley. Spiti  lies just 50 km away from the International border with Tibet. The airstrip is vital for the region, which currently relies solely on National Highway (NH) 505 for access.

Infact the demand for Rangrik airstrip has been  raised several times in the past, but the Centre did nothing so far.

He sought the relocation of the Ammunition Depot Powari, presenting two alternative sites and offering state government support for the land.

He discussed the need for controlled blasting until the relocation to continue the excavation work for the Shongtong Karcham hydel project.

Sukhu also requested the strengthening of road infrastructure on NH maintained by the Border Road Organization (BRO) and the construction of new roads to connect villages near the border areas.

He emphasized the redevelopment of the old Hindustan-Tibet road and the development of parallel stretches to reduce the distance between Kaza and Shimla by 70 km.

In his meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chief Minister Sukhu sought additional special central assistance to accelerate the restoration and asset creation process in the state. He apprised her of the extensive damage to various sectors and the estimated losses of about Rs. 8000 crore during the recent floods.

The Union Finance Minister assured the chief minister of full support and assistance in the state's recovery efforts.