Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
While presiding over the closing ceremony of the four-day long international Lavi fair, Rampur in Shimla district today, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a special relief package for disaster-affected Samej and Bagi bridge regions of Rampur area during rainy season this year on the pattern of relief package given last year.
The Chief Minister said that families who lost their homes entirely in the disaster would receive Rs. 7 lakh rather than the previous amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh while those with partially damaged homes would receive Rs. 1 lakh as compensation. The families of the individuals who went missing in these and other disaster-affected areas would be provided death certificates and financial assistance from the state government.
He stated, “I come from a common family, so I understand the struggles of common people well.” He also said that the state government rehabilitated 23,000 affected families last year and provided a special economic package of Rs. 4,500 crore without any support from the central government.
The CM criticized the previous BJP government for squandering public funds and said that present State government was closing loopholes in corruption and redirecting funds towards welfare initiatives for orphans, widows and other vulnerable groups.