Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and requested him to provide financial assistance of Rs. 1972.08 crore under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to undertake massive reconstruction/rehabilitation works in flood affected area of the State. He informed that State has suffered cumulative loss of Rs. 2934 crores from heavy rains during monsoons season.
Virbhadra Singh told that 69 human and 24247 animals have lost their lives in the flash floods and added that 11157 pucca/ kucha houses have been fully/partially damaged due to landslides and a loss of Rs. 200 crore was suffered by private property due to floods in the State. He told that total 4519 roads in the State has suffered badly and total loss of Rs. 1264 crore was assessed to the various road networks in the State due to flash floods. He said that 2763 water supply schemes has suffered loss of Rs. 256.78 crore while the agriculture crops in 20573 hactare land worth Rs. 200 crore and horticulture crops in 81457.5 hactare land worth 301.11 crops were badly damaged in the flash floods in the State. He said that electricity infrastructure, Government assets and fisheries departments suffered loss of Rs. 474.75 crore, 165 crore and 6.16 crore respectively.
Chief Minister requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to also restore the special industrial package to the State till 2020 to expedite the industrialization process in the State. He told that about 16500 units in the small, medium and large scale sector with proposed investment of Rs. 48,830 crore and employment potential of 5,42,580 persons were approved in the State between 6th January, 2003 to March, 2013 out of which approved units only 9,353 units were set up with investment of Rs. 14,557 crore which provided employment to 1,20,602 persons. He said that State Government has made huge investment to improve infrastructure in industrial areas of the State and told that industrial houses interest in setting up units in the State is declining fastly in absence of industrial incentives. He said that proposal for continuation of special package is under active consideration and Planning Commission has already earmarked an outlay of Rs. 500 crore for extension of this package to special category States of Himachal, Uuttrakhand and Jammu and Kashmir during 12th five year plan. He requested the Prime Minister to sanction the special industrial incentive package to the State. He demanded sanction of investment subsidy at the rate of 15% and exemption of income tax and central excise duty for five years and 10 years till the year 2020.
Virbhadra Singh demanded release of Rs. 2100 crore SPA/SCA for financing the annual plan 2013-14 to speed up the pace of development in the state. He told that State has suffered loss of Rs. 10725 crore due to adverse recommendation of 13th finance commission who underestimated the States liabilities on various accounts and told that State got an increase of only 50% as against the average increase of 126% for all other States. He requested the release of full amount by providing additional funds under supplementary budget or throung savings in other schemes.
Chief Minister requested that uniform funding pattern of 90:10 should be provided to the State under all centrally sponsored schemes like Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meals Scheme, RMSA, IAY etc. on the pattern of north eastern States. He told that at present funding under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan(65%), Mid Day Meal Scheme (75%),Indira Awas Yojna(75%),Rshtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (75%), Swaran Jayanti Gram Rojgar Yojna(75%), NRDWP(50%), is less to Himachal Pradesh in comparision to other north eastern States and requested to pass neccessary direction to all central ministries to modify the guidelines for existing schemes and adopt uniform norms for all the special category States
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh appreciated the issues raised by State Government and assured that Central Government will provide all possible financial assistance to the State to speed up the pace of development in the State and ensure over all development of the State in various fields.
