Latest news with #RecoveryandReconstruction
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
We thank Centre, but seek full Rs 9000 crores restoration support: Himachal Minister on Centre's disaster aid
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 18 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan has expressed gratitude to the Central government for releasing Rs 2006.40 crore towards disaster restoration efforts following the unprecedented natural calamity that devastated the state in 2023. However, Chauhan has reiterated the demand for the full financial support of over Rs 9000 crore, which had earlier been submitted to the Centre for rebuilding critical infrastructure and livelihoods. Speaking to ANI, Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said, 'We asked the central government to sanction Rs 9,000 crore, which is still pending. However, we thank the Central Government and Home Minister Amit Shah for sanctioning Rs 2,006 Crore... We have not received the amount we had demanded or what is due, and we hope the funds are rightfully ours. After requests we received post-disaster, the Himachal government prioritised and repaired roads and the water supply scheme. Even today, many roads have been restored, albeit temporarily... We must receive some compensation, and we believe the infrastructure shortcomings will be addressed...' Earlier today, a high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved Rs 2,006.40 crore in central assistance to Himachal Pradesh under its Recovery and Reconstruction plan following floods, landslides, and cloudburst incidents in 2023. The Home Minister's Office (HMO) highlighted the decision in a post on X on Wednesday, stressing that the Narendra Modi-led central government 'stands shoulder to shoulder with states' in times of natural disasters. In the financial year 2024-25, the Centre has allocated Rs 25,425.16 crore to states under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. In 2023, Himachal Pradesh was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in its 75-year history, resulting in extensive damage to public infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods. The calamity claimed the lives of over 550 people and inflicted estimated losses of approximately Rs 10,000 crore. Entire stretches of road networks, bridges, drinking water schemes, and public buildings were swept away or rendered unusable. In the aftermath, the Himachal Pradesh government passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly, unanimously seeking substantial financial assistance from the Union Government. A detailed proposal estimating a requirement of Rs 9000 crore was submitted to the Centre toward the end of 2023. A central assessment team had also visited the affected areas to evaluate the scale of destruction firsthand. The 2023 floods in Himachal Pradesh were triggered by intense monsoon rains that led to landslides, flash floods, and large-scale displacement of communities across districts including Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan. The state government has since been struggling to mobilize resources for rehabilitation and long-term infrastructure rebuilding. (ANI)
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Centre approves Rs 2,006 crore aid for Himachal Pradesh for reconstruction activities post-2023 landslides, floods
A high-level committee under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Wednesday approved central assistance of Rs 2,006.40 crore to Himachal Pradesh for recovery and reconstruction activities in the aftermath of flood, landslides, and the cloudburst incident in 2023. A statement issued by the central government said, 'Out of this (Rs 2,006.40 crore), Rs 1,504.80 crore will be the central share from Recovery and Reconstruction Funding Window under National Disaster Response Fund. Earlier, on December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had approved additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for Himachal Pradesh…' The committee, comprising the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, considered the proposal for financial assistance to the state through the Recovery and Reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The state government under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has long been blaming the Centre for not releasing the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) funds of approximately Rs 9,000 crore. The issue has been a topic of heated discussions between the ruling party MLAs and the Opposition BJP legislators during various Assembly sessions. Senior BJP leaders, including national president J P Nadda and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, hailed the central government on Wednesday for approving the assistance. The Centre had earlier approved Rs 1,658.17 crore for Uttarakhand in the aftermath of the land subsidence in Joshimath, and Rs 555.27 crore for Sikkim in the wake of the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in 2023. Further it also approved projects with an overall financial outlay of Rs 7,253.51 crore for mitigating the risks pertaining to a number of hazards in the areas of urban floods (Rs 3,075.65 crore), landslides (Rs 1,000 crore), GLOF (Rs 150 crore), forest fire (Rs 818.92 crore), lightning (Rs 186.78 crore) and drought (Rs 2,022.16 crore). This additional assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) which is already placed at the disposal of the states. During the 2024-25 financial year, the Centre released Rs 20,264.40 crore to 28 states under the SDRF and Rs 5,160.76 crore under the NDRF to 19 states. Additionally, Rs 4,984.25 crore was released from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 19 states and Rs 719.72 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to eight states.
India Gazette
14 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"Standing shoulder to shoulder with states": HMO as high-level committee approves over Rs 2000 crore aid to Himachal Pradesh
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): A high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 2,006.40 crore in central assistance to Himachal Pradesh under its Recovery and Reconstruction plan following floods, landslides, and cloudburst incidents in 2023. The Home Minister's Office (HMO) highlighted the decision in a post on X on Wednesday, stressing that the Narendra Modi-led central government 'stands shoulder to shoulder with states' in times of natural disasters. In the financial year 2024-25, the Centre has allocated Rs 25,425.16 crore to states under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. 'The Central Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is standing firmly with the states in times of disasters without any discrimination. In this direction, a high-level committee headed by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah approved assistance of Rs 2006.40 crores to Himachal Pradesh for reconstruction in areas affected by disasters like floods, landslides and cloudbursts for the year 2023. The Home Ministry had also given additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crores to Himachal Pradesh in December 2023 for relief and rehabilitation from this disaster,' read a post by the Union Home Minister's office. The high-level committee comprises Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, who considered the proposal for financial assistance to the State from the Recovery and Reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). According to an official statement from the Union Home Ministry, Rs 1504 crore will be the central share of the more than 2000 crore from the Recovery and Reconstruction Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund. On December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs approved additional financial assistance of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for Himachal Pradesh, which was affected by this disaster. 'Under the leadership of PM Modi, the Government of India is standing shoulder to shoulder with the state governments during natural calamities and disasters. To fulfil PM Modi's vision of a disaster-resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, has taken several initiatives to ensure effective management of disasters in the country,' the ministry's statement added. According to the statement, the Centre has approved a number of mitigation projects with an overall financial outlay of Rs 7253.51 crore to mitigate the risks of various hazards, including urban floods (Rs. 3075.65 crore), Landslides (Rs.1000 crore), GLOF (Rs. 150 crore), Forest Fire (Rs. 818.92 crore), Lightning (Rs. 186.78 crore), and Drought (Rs. 2022.16 crore). The Centre has also approved recovery plans for the states of Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Uttarakhand was sanctioned Rs 1,658.17 crore in the aftermath of the Joshimath subsidence, while Rs 555.27 crore was allocated for GLOF-related damages in Sikkim in 2023. (ANI)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council of Europe Secretary General issues statement on Special Tribunal for Russian aggression
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has commented on the political support for the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Source: European Pravda, which has the text of his speech Details: On 9 May, European foreign ministers gathered in Lviv and welcomed the completion of technical work on the draft legal instruments necessary to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine within the Council of Europe. "Today's event in Lviv demonstrates our unity and resolve to ensure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine," Berset commented. He drew attention to the fact that Ukraine is part of the European family and remains a top priority for the Council of Europe. "We have already developed an Action Plan on Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction. We have established a fully functioning Register of Damage for Ukraine. The European Court of Human Rights is examining thousands of cases of alleged human rights violations resulting from Russia's aggression. And we have made the plight of Ukrainian children our own," he said. Berset stressed that the EU is now creating the basis for a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. "This is the moment for states to follow up on the political will they have shown today. Justice also needs resources. Funding must be secured, and the necessary support provided for the functioning of the future tribunal," added the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Background: As reported by European Pravda, it is hoped that the tribunal will start working next year. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas hopes for the tribunal's decision on aggression in 2026. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
