Uttarakhand: CM Dhami approves special assistance for disaster-hit Kedarnath

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 6 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has approved special assistance amount for the loss caused by heavy rains in the Kedarnath area of Rudraprayag district.

An amount of Rs 9.08 crore has been approved by CM Dhami in the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund for businessmen affected by heavy rains.

Dhami has granted the approval of relief amount of Rs 9.08 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to various affected businessmen due to damage to the pedestrian and motor road from Linchauli to Sonprayag due to heavy rains in the Kedarnath area on July 31 this year.

On the instructions of the Chief Minister, the government order related to this matter has been issued by the Secretary of Chief Minister, Shailesh Bagoli.

In a letter issued to the District Magistrate Rudraprayag, he has clarified that in a meeting held with local public representatives and various organisations under the chairmanship of the Chief Development Officer regarding the various businessmen affected due to the damage to the foot track and motor road from Linchauli to Sonprayag due to heavy rains on July 31, it was unanimously proposed to approve an estimated Rs 9.08 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for compensation to the disaster-affected persons.

He informed that after due consideration at the government level in reference to the proposal, it was decided on the instructions of the Chief Minister that, as per the proposal received from the District Magistrate Rudraprayag, an amount of Rs 9.08 crore should be approved from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for compensation of the affected people of heavy rains from Linchauli to Sonprayag and made available to the District Magistrate Rudraprayag.

It has been clarified in the letter issued that the amount sanctioned from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund should be used only for the affected people of the foot track and motor road from Linchauli to Sonprayag due to heavy rains on July 31, to whom it has been decided to distribute compensation/relief amount in the meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Development Officer on August 24.

Along with this, before making payment of the sanctioned amount to the affected people, after testing the cases under the provisions made in the relevant government orders and verifying the affected people as per the rules, payment should be ensured through e-banking as far as possible, where there is no facility of e-banking, the amount should be distributed through demand draft.

After distribution of the amount sanctioned from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the affected people, instructions have also been given in the government order to keep the details of the beneficiaries safe at the district level such as name, address, telephone number etc.

Earlier, on August 4, CM Dhami said that around 17,000 people were evacuated from the disaster-affected areas in the state after heavy rains severely damaged the route in the Rudraprayag district.

Heavy rains in various parts of the state on night of July 31 caused heavy damage to roads, footbridges, power and drinking water lines, as well as agricultural land.