Latest news with #Sukhu
Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himachal CM meets Shah, seeks liberal support from Centre in relief works
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and requested liberal support from the central government for relief and restoration works for the damage occurring in the state following the flash floods and cloudbursts during the monsoon season. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder SIngh Sukhu meets Union minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI) Sukhu apprised Shah regarding the losses incurred by Himachal Pradesh due to flash floods and cloudbursts. Sukhu shared that precious lives have been lost and key infrastructure, including roads, bridges, buildings, irrigation schemes, water supply schemes and electricity supply systems had been severely affected during this disaster. Sukhu 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. Sukhu pointed out that the existing guidelines fixed by the central government regarding the sanctioning of relief and restoration activities were inadequate, considering the difficult topographical conditions of the state. He strongly urged for amendments in the existing norms, specifically raising the current limit from 10% to 30% , which would provide significant support to the state in its relief and restoration efforts. The Union home minister assured the Chief Minister of all possible assistance to the state. Sukhu calls on Gadkari, seeks support for reconstruction of damaged roads Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday called on Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari at New Delhi and sought support for repair and reconstruction of and repair of roads damaged due to recent rainfall and flash floods in the state. He also urged for including a few roads in PM Gati Shakti Yojana. Sukhu also updated the Union minister about the delays in National Highway projects due to various reasons and requested to address these at the earliest and to start construction works on the same at the earliest. The chief minister also stressed upon adopting tunneling in the NH road projects and discussed regarding the roads of strategic importance which have been already raised with the defence ministry and urged for speedy action on them. He also urged for sanctioning more ropeway projects for the state to ease traffic congestion. The Union minister assured of all possible assistance to the state and gave necessary directions to the officers. Sukhu for creation of Green Fund Himachal CM met Dr Arvind Panagariya, chairman 16th Finance Commission, on Tuesday and sought the panel's co-operation for strengthening the economic condition of the state. He also requested the commission for the creation of a separate 'Green Fund' with an earmarked annual allocation for hill states. Sukhu added that this issue was discussed with the prime minister too, a statement from the state government said. Asserting the Himachal government was following the path of fiscal prudence, he claimed it was achieving sustainable development goals well, and called upon the panel to support the state in its recommendations in view of its financial condition in the aftermath of damage caused by flash floods. Pointing out the much higher expenditure incurred in a hill state compared to other states, Sukhu said that devolution to a hill state should be at least twice than their share of population. He requested for continuation of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) keeping in view topographical disadvantages and limited scope for raising revenue. He added that the state is facing a financial crisis because of steep tapering of RDG by the 15th Finance Commission. The Chief minister also apprised the chairman about the suggestions made by the state for disaster management, relief from debt trap, grant to local bodies and state specific grants. He urged for accepting the suggestions as recommended. Dr Arvind Panagariya assured of all possible assistance to the state. Himachal Panchayati raj minister to meet Union minister Gadkari Panchayati Raj minister Anirudh Singh on Tuesday said he will meet Union minister Nitin Gadkari on July 19 and raise public grievances related to the four-laning projects. 'I have been receiving regular complaints from the public about damages caused to their homes, land and farms due to highway widening works. Even Anurag Thakur has expressed concern, and I noticed that Nitin Gadkari himself seems to be receiving a wave of complaints online. I will seek an appointment with him and present a detailed report on the state of NH four-laning projects in Himachal,' said Singh. He is also running an online campaign of 'Justice for Himachal'. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Singh said, 'I myself tagged the Prime Minister and the Union minister in posts where people were seen submerged in water or walking through flooded sections. After these posts gained attention, central officers visited the site and got the matter rectified.'Earlier this month, Anirudh was booked for assaulting NHAI officials after a 5-storey building collapsed in Shimla's Bhattakufer on June 30. Anirudh pledges to donate organs Singh pledged to donate his organs, becoming part of an organ donation campaign initiated by Dr Puneet Mahajan of IGMC Shimla's surgery department. 'While we take great care of our bodies in life, the true meaning of life is to ensure our organs help someone after death. Whether it's the liver, cornea, or any transplantable organ it can give not just one person, but an entire family, a new lease of life,' Singh said.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Central norms for sanctioning relief insufficient: Sukhu to Shah
1 2 3 4 Shimla: Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the impact of recent flash floods and cloudbursts in the hill state. He apprised Shah that the state experienced damages estimated at around Rs 1,000 crore, with losses continuing as the monsoon season only just commenced. The disaster resulted in the loss of precious lives and severely affected key infrastructure, including roads, bridges, buildings, irrigation schemes, water supply systems, and electricity supply networks, stated the chief minister. Sukhu requested increased support from the central govt for relief and restoration efforts. He highlighted that natural disasters have become a recurring phenomenon since 2023, leading to cumulative losses of approximately Rs 21,000 crore over the past three years. The state is providing relief to affected individuals through the state disaster response fund (SDRF) and the national disaster response fund (NDRF). However, the frequent occurrence of such disasters has strained the state's limited resources, hindering restoration works and infrastructure rebuilding, he added. Sukhu pointed out that existing central govt guidelines for sanctioning relief and restoration activities are insufficient given Himachal Pradesh's challenging topography. He strongly urged amendments to the current norms, specifically advocating for an increase in the relief norm ceiling from 10% to 30%, to bolster the state's relief and restoration initiatives. The Union home minister assured the chief minister of all possible assistance to Himachal Pradesh. MSID: 122515802 413 |
Hans India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
HP CM calls on Nitin Gadkari, seeks repair of flash flood-damaged roads
New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday called on Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari here and apprised him of the massive damages caused by flash floods in the state. CM Sukhu sought support for the repair and reconstruction of damaged roads. He also urged for inclusion of a few roads in the PM Gati Shakti Yojana. He also updated the Union Minister about the delays in National Highway (NH) projects due to various reasons and requested early redressal. The Chief Minister also stressed on adopting tunnelling in the NH road projects and discussed the roads of strategic importance, which have already been raised with the Defence Ministry and urged for speedy action on them. He also urged the Union Minister to sanction more ropeway projects for the state to ease traffic congestion. The Union Minister assured of all possible assistance to the state and gave necessary directions to the officers. Earlier, the Chief Minister met the 16th Finance Commission Chairperson, Arvind Panagariya and sought cooperation for strengthening the financial condition of the state. CM Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh has been following the path of fiscal prudence and is one of the best-performing states in the country on various parameters, including Sustainable Development Goals. The Chief Minister urged the commission to support the state in its recommendations, keeping in view its financial condition. He said hill states incur a much higher expenditure as compared to other states, and added that devolution to a hill state should be at least twice their share of the population. He requested for continuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), keeping in view topographical disadvantages and limited scope for raising revenue. CM Sukhu added that the state is facing a financial crisis because of the steep tapering of RDGs by the 15th Finance Commission.
India Gazette
20 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
CM Sukhu meets Civil Aviation Minister, discusses strengthening air connectivity to Himachal
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 15 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu called on Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi and held detailed discussions about strengthening air connectivity in the state. The Chief Minister urged the Union Minister to operate Delhi-Shimla-Dharamshala and Dharamshala-Shimla-Delhi flights on a daily basis, highlighting that at present, these flights were operational only three days a week, causing inconvenience to the tourists. He also requested the commencement of night landing facilities at Dharamshala airport. Sukhu apprised the Union Minister about the status of the Kangra airport expansion and sought special assistance for the land acquisition process, citing its high cost. He mentioned that the issue had also been raised with the Prime Minister during a previous meeting and sought the continued support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, emphasising that this would accelerate the region's development. The Chief Minister also requested the construction of four new heliports to strengthen air connectivity further and boost tourism in the state. Discussions were also held regarding the expansion of Shimla airport. The Chief Minister urged the Union Minister to extend the operational watch hours beyond 1 p.m. at Shimla airport and also proposed the operation of Dornier-type aircraft at Shimla, following the example of the northeastern states. He emphasized the need to encourage additional operators to start flight services to Shimla. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister Ram Subhag Singh, Principal Resident Commissioner Sushil Kumar Singla and senior officers of the Ministry of Civil Aviation were also present during the meeting. Earlier, Sukhu called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and apprised her of the financial situation of the state, and called for increasing the state's borrowing limit. He informed about the massive losses incurred due to recent heavy rains and flash-floods in the state and urged the Centre to provide assistance to the state, an official release said. He also held detailed discussions about issues concerning the Ministry. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena and Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister, Ram Subhag Singh, accompanied the Chief Minister. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Himachal CM meets finance minister Sitharaman, urges increase in borrowing limit for state
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday called on Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at New Delhi and urged for an increase in borrowing limit of the state. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu meets Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI) During the meeting, the chief minister apprised Union minister Sitharaman of the financial situation of Himachal Pradesh and urged for increasing the borrowing limit of the state. He also informed the Union minister about the massive losses incurred due to recent heavy rains and flash-floods in the state and urged the Centre for assistance. Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing large scale destruction since the onset of monsoon in the state. As per the state disaster management authority (SDMA), a total of 105 lives have been lost since June 20. Out of these, 61 people lost their lives in landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, fire incidents, and electrocution, as per the official cumulative report released by the state emergency operations centre (SEOC). Forty four people lost their lives in road mishaps, which have seen a sharp increase due to the slippery terrain, poor visibility, and road damage caused by relentless rainfall. The state so far had registered damages worth over ₹784.6 crore to both public and private property across sectors, including roads, agriculture, power, education, animal husbandry, and rural infrastructure. CM pushes for strengthening air connectivity in the state Chief minister Sukhu also called on Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu at New Delhi on Monday and held detailed discussions about strengthening air connectivity in the state. Sukhu urged the Union minister to allow the operation of Delhi-Shimla-Dharamshala and Dharamshala-Shimla-Delhi flights on a daily basis, highlighting that at present these flights were operational only three days a week, causing inconvenience to the tourists. He also requested the commencement of night landing facilities at Dharamshala airport. Sukhu apprised the Union minister regarding the status of the Kangra airport expansion and sought special assistance for the land acquisition process, citing its high cost. He mentioned that the issue had also been raised with the Prime Minister during a previous meeting and sought the continued support of the ministry of civil aviation, emphasising that this would accelerate the region's development. CM Sukhu also requested the construction of four new heliports to further strengthen air connectivity and boost tourism in the state. Discussions were also held regarding the expansion of Shimla airport. The CM urged the Union minister to extend the operational watch hours beyond 1 pm at Shimla airport and also proposed the operation of Dornier-type aircraft at Shimla, following the example of the northeastern states. He emphasised the need to encourage additional operators to start flight services to Shimla.
