Himachal CM Sukhu to seek special package from PM during visit to rain-hit state

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced that he will request a special relief package from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state. Himachal has suffered huge losses due to heavy rains, floods, and landslides this monsoon, and the state government is struggling to provide quick relief and rehabilitation to affected people.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, where he will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and later hold a review meeting in Kangra district. According to CM Sukhu, this visit is very important because the Prime Minister will get a chance to personally see the scale of the devastation.

“We have high expectations from the PM’s visit. We have demanded a special package from the Centre. Tomorrow in Dharamshala, we will give a presentation to him on the damage caused by the disaster,” Sukhu told reporters in Shimla.

The chief minister added that the PM will not only conduct an aerial survey but also interact with the state administration to understand the challenges in relief and rehabilitation. “The PM will personally assess the damage,” Sukhu said.

Himachal seeks urgent relief and rule changes

The Himachal government has estimated the total damage caused by the rains at around ₹5,000 crore. Roads, bridges, health facilities, and thousands of houses have been washed away or badly damaged. Farmers and apple growers have also reported heavy losses, adding to the economic burden of the state.

Sukhu said he will request the Prime Minister to release the relief package without delay so that funds can quickly reach disaster-affected families. “I will request the PM to release the relief amount on time so that the disaster-affected people can be given relief on time,” he stressed.

The chief minister also revealed that the state will ask for exemptions under the Forest Conservation Act. Currently, strict forest laws restrict the use of land for construction. Sukhu said that in order to rehabilitate families who have lost their homes, the government should be allowed to give one bigha of land per family in affected areas. “We will request him to give exemption in the Forest Conservation Act to give one bigha of land to build a house,” Sukhu explained.

In addition, the state government is preparing a detailed report to be shared with the PM. This report highlights not just infrastructure damage but also the social impact of the disaster, including displacement of families, loss of livelihood, and difficulties in restoring essential services.

Meetings in Dharamshala and Delhi

During the PM’s visit, the Himachal government will present a comprehensive presentation in Dharamshala that will include photographs, statistics, and videos of the damage. The idea is to give the Prime Minister a clear picture of the ground reality so that immediate financial assistance can be arranged.

After the PM’s visit, Sukhu will also attend a crucial meeting with the Finance Commission in Delhi on September 11. At this meeting, he plans to raise Himachal’s financial situation in detail and request additional assistance, considering the unprecedented scale of losses.

Sukhu has repeatedly highlighted that Himachal Pradesh, being a hill state with fragile ecology, suffers greater damage from natural disasters compared to plains. Roads get blocked frequently, bridges collapse easily, and villages remain cut off for days. Hence, the need for special central assistance is even more urgent.

He also stressed that relief efforts cannot be sustained only through the state’s limited resources. Himachal needs long-term financial and infrastructural support from the central government to rebuild houses, repair roads, and restore normal life.

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Hope from PM’s visit

The chief minister made it clear that people of the state are looking forward to the Prime Minister’s visit with hope. “We have high expectations,” Sukhu said, adding that the Centre’s timely support can make a big difference in providing relief to thousands of affected families.

PM Modi’s aerial survey and meeting in Kangra will play a crucial role in deciding the scale of the relief package. If approved, the funds will be used not only for immediate relief but also for rehabilitation, reconstruction, and strengthening of disaster management systems in Himachal.

For now, the state continues to count its losses, and the government is doing what it can. But Sukhu admitted that the challenges are massive. “So far, Himachal has suffered losses worth ₹5,000 crore,” he said, emphasizing that central support is the only way to handle the crisis effectively.

The coming days, especially the Prime Minister’s visit and the Finance Commission meeting in Delhi, will decide how quickly Himachal Pradesh can recover from this year’s devastating rains.