Priyanka Gandhi to embark on 2-day Himachal visit, take stock of damages

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will embark on a two-day visit to Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday to take stock of the damages due to landslides

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will embark on a two-day visit to Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday to take stock of the damages due to landslides and heavy rain and will also inaugurate several relief works.

Sharing the details of the trip, a senior Congress official said that Priyanka Gandhi will visit the districts of Manali, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Solan, which have been the most affected by the recent heavy floods.

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The party leader said that she will also inaugurate several relief works in the hill state and interact with the people on the problems being faced by them. In July and August, Himachal Pradesh witnessed heavy rain and floods leading to the deaths of more than 400 people. Due to the landslides, several homes were also destroyed. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has demanded a relief package from the Central government to rebuild the state.

On September 9, Sukhu attended a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on the occasion of the G20 Summit in New Delhi and also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed various issues related to the interests of the state. The Chief Minister conveyed the gravity of the damages and appealed to the Modi to declare it as a ‘national disaster’.

The Chief Minister highlighted that more than 400 people died and over 13,000 houses were damaged, leaving thousands of people homeless. He added that as a result of the disaster, the state has suffered cumulative losses exceeding Rs 12,000 crore. Sukhu also said that that Himachal requires substantial assistance from the Union government to rebuild and chart a path toward recovery.

He further urged the Prime Minister to release a special relief package to Himachal Pradesh, drawing a parallel to the support provided during the Bhuj and Kedarnath tragedies. On his part, the Prime Minister assured that the demands would be considered sympathetically.