Shimla, July 18 -- Expressing optimism over central support, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said he is hopeful that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's expected visit to the disaster-affected areas of Seraj would pave the way for timely assistance and rehabilitation.
Replying to newsmen's questions about his meeting with Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Nitin Gadkari this week, Sukhu said a centre team is expected to visit the affected areas. "Amit Shah is also likely to come to Himachal Pradesh and take a ground-level assessment of the devastation for a better understanding of the scale of the disaster. He will also expedite the release of funds and resources required for immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation of the affected families," said Sukhu.
He informed that Seraj is an area presented to former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. I told him (Shah) specifically about Jairam Thakur being a local MLA..
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is doing everything possible to provide relief on the ground but emphasised that central assistance is crucial to scale up rescue, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts. The Union Home Minister's visit will not only boost morale but also send a strong message of solidarity to the people in this time of distress. The chief minister strongly advocated for the Centre's approval to divert forest land for the rehabilitation of families whose homes were either swept away or collapsed due to cloudbursts and incessant rains. He emphasised that this clearance is critical to provide immediate relief and rebuild lives devastated by the calamity. The state has suffered damages amounting to around Rs 1000 crore, even as the monsoon had just begun. "We have the full month of August 2025. There could be more rain, and also the losses," he said
Sukhu recalled that the Home Minister informed him about his visit in the coming days and gave him hope for the centre.
"I have also raised the issue of a special relief package, and the Home Minister said that it would be considered after the central team visit," said the CM
He admitted that the natural disasters had become a recurring phenomenon since 2023 and the state had incurred cumulative losses of approximately Rs 21,000 crore over the last three years, as per the release. He added that the state government was making every effort to provide relief to the affected people through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). However, due to the repeated occurrence of such disasters, it had become increasingly difficult for the state to undertake restoration works and rebuild infrastructure with its limited resources.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.