Himachal BJP MLAs donate one month’s salary towards state disaster relief fund

Shimla, September 19

BJP MLAs in Himachal Pradesh Tuesday donated their one month’s salary towards the Aapada Rahat Kosh and presented a cheque of Rs 13.8 lakh to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur said.

Speaking to media persons outside the Vidhan Sabha, Thakur said, “We had made a commitment to donate one month’s salary towards the disaster relief fund,” adding that 25 BJP MLAs have donated their one month’s salary on Tuesday.

This step by BJP MLAs comes a day after the chief minister had pointed out that the BJP MLAs are yet to donate towards the Aapada Rahat Kosh.

During the Assembly session on Monday, Sukhu said that the Congress MLAs have donated one month’s salary towards the Aapada Rahat Kosh, while the state’s employees have donated one day’s salary, and several state governments and individuals have donated funds and even students have come forward for help but the BJP MLAs are yet to donate their salary.

At present, there are 40 Congress, 25 BJP and three independent MLAs in the 68 seat assembly in the state.

“We had earlier stated that we are with the state government in times of disaster and will do all possible help,” Thakur said.

The BJP MLAs have made efforts to help the affected people in their respective constituencies, he added.

The state faced the fury of monsoon from July 7 to 11, August 11 to 14 and August 22 to 26 and the direct loss to the state was about Rs 9,000 and if indirect losses are added the figure goes up to more than Rs 12,000 crores, Sukhu had said in the Vidhan Sabha.

A total of 455 persons — 282 in rain-related incidents and 173 in road accidents — have died since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 19 while 39 are still missing as per the state emergency operation centre.