Dehradun:
At least 1500 people, including locals, are still stranded at Badrinath and Harsil in flood-hit Uttarakahand and rescue operations are on to bring them to safety. 3,000 people remain missing a fortnight after disaster struck the state and authorities are grappling with the grim task of extricating dead bodies from under debris amid fear of disease.
Today, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna along with Union ministers Ambika Soni and Jairam Ramesh addressed a press conference in capital Dehradun. Here are the highlights:
Vijay Bahuguna:- Over 1 lakh people are safely back home
- Will reconstruct with eye on future
- We'll cover all commercial establishments in the relief; dhabas will be covered
- Thankful to the PM, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for standing by Uttarakhand in this hour of need
- A statutory body named Uttarakhand Rehabilitation And Redevelopment Authority has been set up
- Students till intermediate to be given one-time relief of Rs 500, college students to get Rs 1000
- Interest on loans from state banks deferred for a year, free electricity, water to be provided
- Now the relief and restoration work has begun
- For small industries, Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh will be given; for small hotel, Rs 2 lakh
- This money will be given for relief work
- There will helicopter dropping
- It is the responsibility of the District Magistrates to deliver goods
- No house will be allowed to be built by the river bank
- Orphaned kids will be under the care of the state government
Jairam Ramesh:
- We may get help from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for the rehabilitation of Uttarakhand
- Under MNREGA we are considering providing guaranteed employment for 150 days instead of 100 days
- Under Indira Awas Yojna, we'll get an additional 14,000 houses built in Uttarakhand with central funding
- From PM Gram Sadak Yojna, we will provide central funds to re-establish road connectivity to 1,400 villages in Uttarakhand