Himachal Pradesh chief minister allocates ₹8L for Kotgarh Memorial maintenance

In a proactive move, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has taken significant steps to support families impacted by recent natural calamities in the Shimla district. During his visit to the apple belts, he interacted with affected families and directed the clearing and restoration of roads by August 15, ensuring smooth transportation of produce for orchardists and farmers.

Financial support and rehabilitation measures

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu not only pledged enhanced assistance to affected families but also announced a financial aid of ₹1 lakh each to the families of three orchardists - Govind Singh, Heera Singh, and Tara Chand. These individuals tragically lost their lives during the 1990 apple grower's agitation incident. Furthermore, he allocated ₹8 lakh for the maintenance of an existing memorial dedicated to their memory. A commendable sum of ₹7 lakh per panchayat was also released for the rehabilitation of seven severely affected panchayats in Kotgarh due to heavy rains.

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Swift action for restoration

The Chief Minister's swift directives resulted in the immediate release of funds - ₹55 lakh for the Nankhari development block and ₹49 lakh for the Narkanda development block. These funds are aimed at accelerating the restoration work of roads and bridges, highlighting the government's commitment to speedy recovery and rehabilitation.

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Underlining the urgency of the situation, directions were issued to concerned officers in various assembly segments, including Chopal, Rohru, Rampur, Theog, and Kotkhai, to work around the clock. The goal is to restore damaged roads and bridges promptly. An allocation of over ₹110 crore has been earmarked for the Public Works Department (PWD) to facilitate and expedite these critical restoration efforts.