Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today visited Kullu to take first hand information on the spot about the losses, rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken by the State Government keeping in view the incessant and heavy rains in the State in general and Kullu district in particular for the last few days. He also took aerial survey of the Lahaul valley upto Chandertal to access the damages caused due to untimely snow.Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the State has suffered a loss of over Rs. 1230 crore excluding the recent losses due to heavy rains in the State for the last four days. He said that the State Government has urged the Union Government to provide liberal assistance to the State Government and Rs. 200 crore as immediate relief for undertaking relief, restoration and rehabilitation works. He said that the State Government at its own has released Rs. 230 crores for rehabilitation works.In addition to this, the State Government has decided to release Rs. 30 crore to Kullu district for undertaking maintenance of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
The Chief Minister said that he had word with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman regarding these natural calamities. He said that on his request three helicopters of Indian Air Force has been provided by the Union Government for evacuating the tourists and all those stranded in Lahaul valley due to untimely and unpredicted heavy snowfall. He said that the Union Government has assured all possible help and if required more choppers would be made available for the rescue of stranded people. He said that many as 200 people were reported to have been stranded at Koksar, about 300 in Baralacha. He said that the State Government has provided them food and medicines and there was no need to panic. He said that all the students of IIT Roorkee were safe and has been evacuated to Army Base Camp at Sisu.Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the road from Kullu to Manali which has been damaged badly would be restored within a week. He said that since the water supply in Manali has been severely damaged and it would be restored within three days. He said that as many as 378 transformers have been damaged in the district and power supply to about 40 percent area has been affected and the same would be restored within a week.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government was ensuring that all the affected families were provided all possible help so that they do not face any inconvenience. He said that District Administration Kullu had provided blankets, tents and other required materials to the migrant workers who lost their shelter due to flash floods.Additional Chief Secretary PWD Manisha Nanda apprised the Chief Minister about the steps taken by the Government for the rescue of standard people in Lahaul Valley. She also apprised him about steps being taken for undertaking repair and restoration works.Agriculture Minister Dr. Ram Lal Markanda, Transport and Forest Minister Govind Thakur, Former MP Maheshwar Singh, MLA Banjar Surinder Shourie, Additional Chief Secretary cum Principal Secretary to the Chief Minster Dr. Shrikant Baldi, Deputy Commissioner Kullu Yunus Khan, SP Kullu. Shalini Agnihotri, Engineer-in-Chief PWD R.P. Verma and other senior officers were present on the occasion.