Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh ridiculed the opposition BJP allegations and stated that the State Government knows the loss caused due to incessant rains and taking remedial measures and providing relief to the people of the State who had suffered loss due to heavy monsoon recently.
Chief Minister said that the Government functionaries had reached every affected area and it was wrong to allege that nothing was being done and the Government was sleeping over the issue. He said
“We are responsive and alive to the problem of the people who had suffered loss due to cloudbursts and landslides and were working day in and day out to restore life to normalcy”
CM said that during such hour of crisis, the allegations being aired by some quarters were uncalled for. As being alleged by few, that no one has reached the flood or landslide affected areas was totally wrong.
“At time of such natural calamities and crisis, it is wrong to derive political mileage out of the blue” CM asserted, adding that it was not a time of ‘Photo session’ and projecting oneself in the media as a true benefactor of the people. Without any such complaints for the public received so far, some people were trying to raise hue and cry to attract the attention of the media and the people as if they were true supporters of the public.
The roads, drinking water schemes bore the maximum brunt of the havoc created by rains. The Government has restored many roads and drinking water supply schemes, said the Chief Minister. As many as 31 human lives have been lost while 633 cattle perished besides loss/damage to houses. From the very first day, the Government was on its toes to provide the relief and restore and repair the damaged roads, drinking water supply schemes and the snapped electricity wires and poles.
The State Government also provided funds to the circles for undertaking restoration works on priority. The Chief Minister said that out of 336 roads closed during the prevailing monsoons till 16th August, as many as 187 roads have been opened and 132 roads were likely to be opened by today itself.
He said that 1953 rural water supply schemes were either fully or partially damaged and till date 1869 such schemes had been restored, besides fourteen urban drinking water schemes.
Chief Minister said that the Deputy Commissioners, in the worst hit districts had been visiting the affected areas and besides providing financial assistance were also providing the much needed relief.
He advised political leaders to refrain from making irrelevant statements in the media.
Earlier, BJP leaders had accused Chief Minister for not giving due consideration to the relief work and also ignoring the interests of the people of the state.
