Seraj suffered losses of Rs 1,000 crore due to disaster: Former Himachal CM Thakur

The Print

6 days ago

Addressing a press conference here, Thakur claimed that out of total loss of Rs 1,235 crore in the state due to the natural calamity, Seraj alone suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore.
Asserting that his Seraj assembly constituency in Mandi district was affected badly in the disaster, the former chief minister also demanded that the Sukhu government should build community shelter homes for more than 500 affected families.
Shimla, Jul 21 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, on Monday accused the ruling Congress of indulging in politics over the rain-related disaster in the state.
He also urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu 'not to take the calamity lightly' and refrain from adding to the agony of people of Seraj by shifting institutions.
About 15 people were killed while 27 missing after 10 cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc in various parts of Mandi on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1.
Thakur claimed that besides extensive damage to roads, bridges, and water and power supply, over 500 houses have been damaged completely and 700 partially in Seraj.
Urging Chief Minister Sukhu to restrain Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi from making 'irresponsible' statements regarding the tragedy, the BJP leader said that it will take years to heal the wounds inflicted by the natural disaster in Seraj.
'I spent major part of my life in building Seraj but the disaster has ruined everything and it would take years to rebuild the constituency,' he said.
During his first visit, the chief minister only went up to the helipad while he did visit some areas during his second visit and gave only Rs 1 crore to the Public Works Department in the name of relief work against loss of Rs 500 crore to roads and bridges, Thakur alleged.
Taking a dig at Revenue Minister Negi, the LOP said that he should have visited Seraj instead of sitting at Shimla and cursing the Opposition, and claimed that his statement gave an impression as if he was happy over the tragedy in Seraj.
Negi recently said that Thakur is idle nowadays and is indulging in nitpicking. 'If he (Thakur) takes up some important issue we can take him seriously, but just speaking for the sake of it will not help,' he had said.
The LOP said that the revenue minister first issued orders to shift the Horticulture College from Thunag and now a conspiracy is being hatched to shift the Panchayati Raj Training Institute located there, in spite of the fact that no damage has been caused to it.
Thakur also pointed out that after the tragedy in Seraj, no senior officer was appointed for rescue and rehabilitation work and the entire operation was left to a patwari. Sadly, the government also transferred the executive engineer of the Public Works Department from Seraj four days ago, he said.
Disasters hit Shimla many times but did the government shift the capital, he asked.
Thakur said that the disaster in Seraj was different and terrifying as cloudburst even struck places at an altitude of 12,000 ft and mountains cracked where no river or drain existed, and underscored the need for a detailed study to find out the new emerging phenomenon.
He also urged the government that the help being distributed among the disaster affected families in Seraj should be displayed to check unscrupulous people from taking undue advantage.
Besides, it must be ensured that the help being rendered by various social and voluntary organizations was evenly distributed and reached all the affected families, he added. PTI BPL KVK KVK
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