Himachal govt running away from responsibilities during disaster: Anurag Singh Thakur

Hamirpur (HP), Sept 4 (PTI) Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur on Thursday slammed the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government and said it is running away from responsibilities during the ongoing natural disaster in the state.

Talking to the media, Thakur said the state government is misleading public regarding Central funds.

"In 2013, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had removed the provision to declare a 'natural disaster' as 'national disaster'. So, on what basis are they demanding that the current disaster in Himachal Pradesh be declared a national disaster?" the MP asked.

He said the state government publicly accuses the Central government of not cooperating, but admits in the Assembly that Himachal Pradesh has received crores of rupees from the Centre during disasters in the last three years.

"In 2023, the Congress government had announced Rs 4,500 crore aid for disaster victims. But in reality, they have been able to release only Rs 256 crore till now. This is the picture of their hollow claims. The Congress leaders keep saying that this year no money was received from the Centre. But in the Assembly, they admit that this year alone more than Rs 1,087 crore was received from the Centre," Thakur said.

He said that in the last three years -- that is, till July 31, 2025 -- the state government has received a total of Rs 3,058 crore from the Central government under various disaster-related heads.

He said Himachal Pradesh received Rs 1,280.40 crore as the Central share in the State Disaster Response Fund. Similarly, under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund, the state received Rs 319.95 crore as the Central share. It received Rs 637.84 crore from Centre for the National Disaster Response Fund, Thakur added. PTI COR RUK RUK