‘Centre response to disasters inadequate’
Tribune News Service
Mandi, August 8
Former minister and senior Congress leader Rangila Ram Rao has criticised the Central government, alleging inadequate response by the latter to the recent natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh.
Talking to mediapersons at Sarkaghat in Mandi today, Rao highlighted the severe impact of the disasters in the state, which led to significant losses in Mandi, Rampur and Kullu districts. He said over 50 lives were lost in the recent disaster in the state and several individuals remain missing, and both government and non-governmental properties suffered damages worth billions.
Rao accused the Central government of failing to provide the promised aid of Rs 9,000 crore from the last year and expressed scepticism about receiving any assistance this time around also. He urged the Central government to provide the necessary support to HP and compensate for the damages caused by the disasters.
Praising Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rao acknowledged that despite limited resources, Sukhu had managed to provide Rs 4,500 crore for the construction of homes for the disaster-affected families of the last year, setting an exemplary precedent nationwide. Rao also alleged that some local leaders and officials were conniving to misallocate relief funds, providing more aid to ineligible individuals while the deserving were shortchanged. He called for an investigation into the issue and the recovery of funds from ineligible recipients to be redistributed to those who were truly in need of it.
On healthcare, Rao addressed the long-standing shortage of specialist doctors at the Sarkaghat Civil Hospital. He mentioned that he had presented the issue to the CM, who had agreed to approve the recruitment of specialist doctors for the hospital. Rao expressed the hope that these specialists would soon be appointed and also promised to advocate for specialists for hospitals in Baldwara and Bhadrota. Rao also criticised contractors and officials for alleged corruption, citing an instance where Rs 7 crore was allegedly paid to a contractor’s relatives. He demanded an investigation into these practices and the recovery of funds, highlighting a recent instance where Rs 1 crore in bills were allegedly approved by the Public Works Department in Sarkaghat for work done on landslides despite minimal damage this year.
