Himachal BJP leaders meet Shah, discuss state's condition following rain-related disasters
The delegation included Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, State BJP chief Dr Rajeev Bindal, former Union minister and MP Anurag Thakur, Lok Sabha MP Suresh Kashyap, Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj, actor-cum-MP Kangana Ranaut, Rajya Sabha MP Indu Goswami, Dr Sikander Kumar, Harsh Mahajan, MLAs Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, and Deep Raj.
During the meeting, Nadda and the BJP leaders briefed Shah on the disaster situation in Himachal Pradesh and urged him to visit the disaster-affected areas. They also requested greater support for the rehabilitation of affected people and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
They expressed their gratitude on behalf of the people of Himachal Pradesh to the Union Home Minister, who extended full cooperation during the disaster relief and rescue operations. The NDRF, ITBP, Army, and Air Force helicopters were made available immediately. At their request, Shah dispatched an inter-ministerial central team within 20 days to assess the damage caused by the disaster. Responding to their demand for a study on the causes of the disaster, a high-level expert team was also constituted.
Nadda said that under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister, a high-level committee had already approved a funding package of Rs 2,006.40 crore for Himachal Pradesh for rehabilitation and reconstruction in areas affected by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts in 2023. The first instalment of Rs 451.44 crore was released on July 7.
The Centre also provided all logistical support, including the deployment of national disaster response teams, army units, and air force personnel, to Himachal and other states as required. A total of 13 NDRF teams are currently deployed for rescue and relief work in Himachal.
Nadda further said that at the BJP's request, Shah had directed the formation of a multi-disciplinary central team in view of the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Himachal.
Ranaut, in a post on X, also mentioned the neet, saying that the central government stands firmly with Himachal Pradesh in this hour of crisis.
'Expressing deep condolences, the minister (Shah) assured that all affected families will be provided with every possible assistance and prompt rehabilitation. The central government stands firmly with Himachal in this hour of crisis,' the MP wrote.
According to the news agency PTI, since the onset of the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 22, at least 76 people have died and 34 have gone missing in rain-related incidents across the state.
The state has also experienced 40 flash floods, 23 cloudbursts and 25 landslides this monsoon season, resulting in losses of approximately Rs 1,247 crore, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Exclusive: India works diplomatic hotlines from South Africa to Botswana to bring home next batch of cheetahs
Over the past two years, India has been working its diplomatic channels with Botswana, South Africa and Kenya as it navigates a complex set of negotiations to replenish its African cheetah population. Senior members of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have said that talks with South Africa, a key source country, have slowed down following the formation of a new political coalition after general elections there last year. At the same time, Botswana has formally committed to sending four cheetahs, and discussions are underway to finalise timelines. In Kenya, negotiations remain broad, centred on long-term collaboration rather than immediate translocation. As many as 20 cheetahs have already been brought to India as part of the country's ambitious translocation plans. Of these, eight were brought from Namibia in 2022 and 12 from South Africa in early 2023. They were all brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. In April this year, the Madhya Pradesh government announced that eight new cheetahs would be brought from Botswana and that the first four would arrive by May. That is yet to happen. A senior official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said, 'We have sought an engagement to work out the logistics. Our High Commission is coordinating to arrive at dates of mutual convenience. The Union Minister concerned has been working on speeding up negotiations with the other countries.' Records of Cheetah Project Steering Committee meetings show that as early as December 13, 2023, the committee was apprised that 'steps have been taken for bringing further cheetahs from Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and other range countries as well.' However, the NTCA has clarified that as of now, there is 'no arrangement with Sudan or Tanzania'. As for South Africa, with the translocation of 12 cheetahs having already taken place in 2023, experts from the country have been closely associated with India's Cheetah Project. However, the changes in government in the country have led to delays in further discussions to bring more cheetahs to India, officials said. 'In South Africa, there has been a significant change in the government since the last engagement. Hence, the processes are taking time. The new government is going through the nuances and understanding the project,' a senior NTCA official. In 2024, the ruling African National Congress lost its outright majority, which it had enjoyed for over 30 years, and has been in a shaky coalition with the Democratic Alliance that is under threat of collapse over sharp divisions between the two parties. As per the steering committee's meeting records from December 4, 2024, committee adviser S P Yadav said that 'bringing cheetahs from South Africa may take time beyond three months since negotiations are underway'. 'Cheetahs from Kuno National Park need to be translocated to the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary for fostering housekeeping practices. The fresh lot from South Africa are to be housed in Kuno,' Yadav told the committee. The DIG of the NTCA, Dr Vaibhav C Mathur, had in this meeting apprised the committee that a high-level delegation had visited Kenya 'for sourcing of cheetahs' and that action was underway 'for dialogue with governments of Botswana and South Africa on sourcing of cheetahs'. On February 19 this year, the State Chief Wildlife Warden, Shubharanjan Sen, again suggested to the committee that the cheetahs in Kuno be transported in order to 'bring new cheetahs from South Africa'. Mathur had apprised the committee that there was a 'deadlock with South Africa' and that officials were trying to address it. Mathur also told the committee that an MoU with Kenya would be signed in the first week of March. Unlike with Botswana, discussions with Kenya have remained 'generic and overarching', with the focus more on 'capacity building for their staff, use of technology for protection, and similar collaborative efforts,' an NTCA official said. The chairman of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee, Dr Rajesh Gopal, said, 'We are yet to get a fresh stock. In the last steering committee meeting, the Government of India informed us that discussions are ongoing. Several countries are being explored — we haven't narrowed it down to one yet. There are options on the table.' Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials are also involved in on-ground diplomacy. A senior state forest department officer, who was part of a delegation to South Africa, said, 'We have visited South Africa and held discussions with their team. We will soon issue an update after the NTCA delegation clears some issues… There are new officials and we are getting them up to speed with our preparations in Gandhisagar and our success with the project.' After a number of deaths and several births, the cheetah population in Kuno now stands at 26, including nine adult cheetahs (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born in India. Officials said all the remaining cheetahs, including the two males kept at Gandhisagar, are in good health.
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Not viable': Bhubaneswar metro project hangs in balance as Odisha govt cancels tender
Uncertainty looms over the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project after the Odisha government has cancelled the tender for the ambitious urban mobility project initiated by the erstwhile Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government. Odisha's Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra said the decision to cancel the tender was taken in view of delay in implementation and to avoid cost escalation. 'The metro project initiated by the previous government wouldn't have been viable. Our government has formed an inter-minister committee to take a fresh look into the project by studying different aspects, its viability and to submit a fresh proposal before the project,' said the urban development minister. Mohapatra said the state government would take up the project in consultation with the Centre unlike the BJD government that had decided to take it on its own. Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the project on January 1, 2024, months before the simultaneous polls. It was estimated to spend a whopping Rs 6,300 crore to develop the first phase of the project with a length of 26 km from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trisulia near Orissa high court in Cuttack with 20 stations and to extend it to Puri, Khurda and Cuttack subsequently. It was decided to develop the metro rail track and stations on elevated viaduct. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was roped in by the Odisha government to implement the project that floated the tender and engaged different agencies to take up the project. Though ground work for the metro project was started, it hit hurdles after the BJP assumed power in Odisha on June 24. Taking a dig at the BJP government over cancellation of the metro project as he said the double-engine government has 'betrayed' the people of Odisha and the decision will push Bhubaneswar 10 years back. 'It has always been our dream to develop #Bhubaneswar into a world-class city. We have been focusing on world class sports infrastructure, organising marquee international events, providing seamless modern transport and developing the IT ecosystem to transform the temple city into a world class city,' wrote Patnaik on X. Patnaik, in his post, wrote that the Bhubaneswar metro project would have reshaped the way city moves with #MoBus and other last mile connectivity complementing the city transport. 'Apart from alleviating congestion inside the city significantly, it would have been a huge catalyst for the expansion of the city. Realising the urgent need of a Metro System for enhanced mobility, we had set a watertight timeline of 2027 for Phase 1 of the project,' he noted.
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Opposition alleges Rs 70,000 crore scam as CAG flags accounting lapses in poll-bound Bihar
Just months ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged massive accounting lapses in the state's finances. The CAG has reported that as of March 31, 2024, as many as 49,649 Utilisation Certificates (UCs) — documents that confirm that allocated resources were utilised for the intended purpose — amounting to Rs 70,877.61 crore, had not been submitted to the Accountant General (Accounts and Entitlements) of Bihar. The findings have come as fresh ammunition for the Opposition. Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said in a social media post, 'Thanks to Modi-Nitish, a scam of Rs 70,000 crore has taken place in Bihar. The CAG has unearthed the theft. No work was seen, but the entire expenditure was made… Modi-Nitish made history by committing a Rs 70,000 crore scam. Just like the Srijan scam, now efforts to manage this from Delhi to Patna have intensified.' According to the CAG's State Finances Audit Report for 2023-24, the non-submission of UCs violates Rule 271(e) of the Bihar Treasury Code that requires departments to submit the documents within 18 months of the financial year in which the grant is released. The report notes that the Bihar government 'did not comply' with the national accounting standards of IGAS-1, IGAS-2, and IGAS-3. The auditing body suspects that nearly Rs 70,878 crore of budgeted money has no audit clearance, and raised serious risk of fraud. 'In the absence of UCs, there is no assurance that funds disbursed have been used for the intended purpose,' the report said, adding that this level of pendency is 'fraught with the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of funds'. The report's year-wise data shows that Rs 14,452.38 crore worth of these pending UCs relate to grants issued up to 2016-17. In 2017-18, the pending UCs amounted to Rs 3,746.64 crore; to Rs 5,870.67 crore in 2018-19; Rs 17,980.24 crore in 2019-20 and 2020-21; Rs 16,014.34 crore in 2021-22; and Rs 12,813.34 in 2022–23. The pending UCs are heavily concentrated in a few departments, the CAG report revealed, indicating that five departments account for the majority of the unverified expenditure. The largest default is in the Panchayati Raj Department, with UCs worth Rs 28,154.10 crore pending, the report said. This is followed by the Education Department (Rs 12,623.67 crore), Urban Development and Housing Department (Rs 11,065.50 crore), Rural Development Department (Rs 7,800.48 crore), and Agriculture Department (Rs 2,107.63 crore). In addition to department-level grants, the CAG also found that large sums of grants to local bodies remained unverified. As per the CAG, as of March 31, 2024, utilisation certificates were pending for Rs 4,277.22 crore given to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Rs 2,221.83 crore given to Rural Local Bodies under various central and state schemes, including 15th Finance Commission grants. The report also highlighted significant pendency in the submission of Detailed Contingent (DC) bills against Abstract Contingent (AC) bills. AC bills are required to draw advances by departments, and rules mandate that a department submitting an AC bill to withdraw cash must finalise the accounts by submitting a DC bill within six months. However, as on March 31, 2024, the report showed massive non-compliance, as Rs 9,205.76 crore was drawn in advance payments through 22,130 AC bills, but its expense details through DC bills were not submitted. Of this, Rs 5,577.91 crore (60.60%) pertained to advances drawn for the 'creation of Capital Assets', including major schemes under road works, education, health, rural development, etc. The CAG further noted that 1,648 AC bills, totalling Rs 1,041.12 crore, were drawn in March 2024 alone, indicating a 'rush' to exhaust budgets at the end of the financial year. The audit said that this pattern of drawing money late in the year and not reconciling it 'indicates poor public expenditure management'. 'The non-submission of DC bills within the prescribed period breaches financial discipline and enhances the risk of misappropriation of public money,' the report warned. The CAG also pointed to issues highlighting systemic lapses in financial reporting with classification of expenditure, particularly under grants-in-aid. It observed that 59.95% of the total budgeted grants-in-aid of Rs 77,600.47 crore disbursed during 2023-24 were lumped under the category, 'Others', without clearly identifying the institutions or schemes to which the funds were released. The CAG noted that without proper institutional codes, 'the amounts outstanding against all institutions could not be worked out.' This, it said, is a gap that 'affected the transparency of accounts'. The CAG also flagged significant parking of funds under the Deposit of Local Funds. According to the CAG report, funds budgeted as grants to local bodies and municipal bodies were transferred there, but never spent. Over 2019-24, the balance in these accounts swelled to Rs 30,017.64 crore. 'This amount has been shown as Revenue or Capital Expenditure in the respective years but is lying unspent in the deposit head,' the report says. It observes that this practice overstates actual expenditure, and further mentions that the 'reason for transfer of funds for parking in Deposit of Local Fund Head of Account were awaited'. The CAG also noted that internal audit mechanisms in departments were either weak or non-functional, and several previous audit recommendations had not been acted upon. It observed that delays in submission of audit replies and lack of timely action 'defeated the very purpose of the audit'. The CAG said that the combination of the issues of missing UCs, unreconciled advances, off-book deposits and generic accounting entries 'indicate lack of internal controls in the administrative departments'.
