By IANS,
Dehradun : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna Thursday announced additional compensation for people whose houses were destroyed by the heavy rains and landslides in the state in the first week of this month.
Bahuguna said a team would conduct a survey of the damage and affected families would be given Rs.2,000 per month for the next six months to pay their house rent.
The chief minister visited several disaster-hit areas including Tiloth, Joshiyada and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district and met affected families.
He said immediate relief amount to the homeless has been doubled to Rs.5,400 from Rs.2,700.
Pointing out that commercial institutions were not covered under central government’s relief fund, Bahuguna said the state government would talk with the banks to provide them subsidised loans.
The chief minister also directed officials to expedite repair works of roads and bridges so that relief could reach to people stranded in far flung areas.
Bahuguna reached Bhatwadi village along the Uttarkashi-Gangotri highway by a chopper to attended a public meeting.
He said the estimated loss to property and infrastructure in the state stood at around Rs.600 crore and was likely to go up as the government was trying to asses the actual extent of the damage.
People whose houses were damaged will be given Rs.1 lakh each as house grant. The families of Nepali labourers who lost their lives in the deluge will also be given financial assistance from the Chief Minister Relief Fund, Bahuguna added.
More than 40 people were killed and thousands of pilgrims on the annual Char Dham Yatra in the state were stranded when unrelenting rains lashed the sub-Himalayan state and triggered flash floods and landslides Aug 4.
Three fire fighters were killed in Gangotri due to heavy rains. A bridge was also washed away here and over 40 houses submerged in the overflowing Bhagirathi river.
Garhwal was the worst hit region in the state followed by Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pokhri. Areas en-route to Badrinath – Birahi, Patalganga and Lambagar – witnessed heavy landslides.
The central government has also assured full cooperation and financial aide to the rain ravaged state.