Shimla, July 21 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday took stock of the situation arising due to the ongoing heavy spell of rains, affecting various districts across the State.

He directed Deputy Commissioners in a virtual meeting to remain alert and take proactive measures to avert any untoward incident. He also urged the people not to go near the rivers and rivulets during the monsoon. “I request everyone to avoid going near water bodies and to strictly follow all advisories issued by the district administration from time to time,” the Chief Minister said in a statement.

He also emphasised the importance of coordination among departments to ensure timely response in case of emergencies like landslides, road blockages or flash floods. Sukhu has also directed to ensure proper flow of essential services during this season so that people do not face any inconvenience in their day-to-day activities.

He also expressed grief over the death of a newly married couple in the Sutaah gram panchayat of Rajnagar in Chamba district, where a house collapsed due to the landslide.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur slammed the Congress government for being insensitive towards the natural calamity, particularly in Mandi district. The former Chief Minister said the executive engineer, who was doing work to rehabilitate disaster-hit people, was transferred under the pressure of some leaders, and no senior officer was replaced in that position. “Wherever there is a disaster or a tragedy in an area, and this area is left in the hands of the ‘patwaris’. The Chief Minister visited the disaster-affected areas after nine days but left after announcing only Rs 1 crore for rehabilitation works against the actual loss of Rs 500 crore,” the BJP leader told the media here.

“The question now is: Why has the Chief Minister, who talks big, not announced a special package? In the relief package, the Chief Minister announced Rs 7 lakh for a damaged house, out of which the state will contribute Rs 4 lakh and the remaining amount will be contributed by the Centre. But surprisingly, no notification in this regard has been issued till now,” BJP leader Thakur added.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday ordered the formation of a multi-sectoral central team to look into the reasons behind the alarming frequency with which natural disasters have been occurring in Himachal Pradesh in the past few years.

–IANS

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