Shah-led panel approves Rs 2K crore to rebuild Himachal after flood damage
NEW DELHI: In a significant move aimed at rebuilding disaster-affected regions in Himachal Pradesh, a high-level committee, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday approved Rs 2,006.40 crore as central assistance to the state, officials said.
According to them the financial assistance is given for the recovery and reconstruction activities in the wake of the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudbursts that struck the state in 2023.
The committee, composed of the Finance Minister, the Agriculture Minister and the Vice Chairman NITI Aayog as members considered the proposal for financial assistance to the state under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the officials said.
A senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official said, 'The high-powered panel has approved the recovery plan of Rs 2,006.40 crore to Himachal Pradesh, which will help the state in carrying out recovery and reconstruction activities, arisen due to damage and destruction that occurred in 2023 monsoon due to floods, cloudbursts and landslides.' According to him the sanctioned fund will comprise of Rs 1,504.80 crore as Central share from recovery and reconstruction funding window under the NDRF. 'Earlier, on December 12, 2023, the MHA had approved additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for the state, which was affected by this disaster,' he said.
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He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More
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