KANGRA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a comprehensive relief package for families affected by the cloudburst in the Boh area under the Shahpur assembly constituency of Kangra district. Visiting the affected areas on Sunday, the Chief Minister interacted with people staying in relief camps, listened to their concerns, and assured them that no family would be left to face this crisis alone.
For families whose homes were completely destroyed in the disaster, the state government will provide total financial assistance of ₹8.50 lakh. This includes ₹7.50 lakh for constructing a new house and ₹1 lakh for purchasing essential household items, clothing, and utensils. Chief Minister Sukhu clarified that landless homeless families will be provided government land according to requirement to help them rebuild their lives.
To support the rural economy, financial compensation has also been declared for farmers, cattle rearers, and small business owners. The government will provide ₹55,000 for the loss of a cow or buffalo and ₹15,000 per goat lost in the disaster. Partially damaged houses will receive up to ₹1 lakh in relief, while damaged shops will get assistance ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh based on the extent of damage. Affected farmers will receive crop damage compensation at the rate of ₹5,000 per kanal.
As an emergency measure, families forced to live in rented accommodations will receive monthly rent assistance of ₹5,000 from the government. Additionally, all affected families will be supplied with free rations for the next six months. To boost medical support in the region, the Chief Minister announced the upgrading of the Primary Health Centre at Ridakmar to a Community Health Centre).
In terms of immediate relief, the administration has distributed interim financial aid of ₹25,000 each to 25 affected families, and ₹10,000 each to 16 other families. Thirteen revenue certificates have been prepared so far, and Bonafide certificates are being issued to the affected residents. The process to reissue educational certificates destroyed in the disaster has also begun, alongside efforts to identify suitable land for permanent rehabilitation.
Ghurghu, Bhangar, and Sapeda villages are the worst affected, with a total of 25 families facing severe hardship. Due to safety concerns, 13 houses in Sapeda village have been declared a danger zone. Chief Minister Sukhu appreciated the ongoing relief operations by the district administration, Police, NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army, local representatives, NGOs, and citizens.
Referring to past disasters, Chief Minister Sukhu stated that during 2023-24, over 23,000 houses were damaged and nearly 500 lives were lost in the state, while more than 75,000 people were safely evacuated-a rescue operation praised by NITI Aayog and the World Bank. He highlighted that the state government historically amended disaster relief rules to increase assistance amounts and established a special disaster relief fund. Furthermore, the state is developing disaster-resilient infrastructure worth around ₹3,500 crore to mitigate future risks.
