Measures to rehabilitate rain-affected people not visible on ground in Mandi: Bindal

Shimla, Jul 8 (PTI) The BJP said on Tuesday that Himachal Pradesh government has not been able to restore roads and water supply in disaster-hit areas in Mandi district and the impact of rehabilitation efforts is not visible on the ground.

Addressing a press conference, state BJP president Rajiv Bindal said that about 500 houses have been completely destroyed and 300 to 500 houses have been partially damaged following torrential rains and flash floods.

More than 200 orchards and agricultural land plots have been completely washed away and a large number of water supply schemes have been damaged, but no alternate arrangements have been made even after eight days of the disaster, he claimed.

"Most of the roads in Mandi and Pandoh are blocked due to massive landslides but no serious efforts have been made to open the roads," Bindal, who visited the affected area, alleged.

He asked the government to deploy heavy machinery for restoring road connectivity and providing permanent shelters to displaced persons lodged in camps.

"The government was expected to take up the restoration operations on a war footing and show sensitivity and seriousness and I again request the government to deploy heavy machinery to restore the roads," Bindal said.

He said that the leader of the opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, and party MLAs Vinod Kumar and Deep Raj Kapoor are in the affected area from day one, providing relief to the affected people.

Taking exception to the reported remarks of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu that the BJP was playing politics, Bindal said, "If sympathising with the affected people and providing them ration kits, utensils, blankets and other material is politics, we will continue to do it".

Bindal said that former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal effectively handled the disaster in 2001 and reached the people in a trolley, leaving all other work.

He even transported the crops of farmers from Lahaul and Spiti by helicopter to Delhi and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur also handled the COVID-19 pandemic very efficiently, the BJP leader said.

Bindal urged the government to provide alternative land to 500 families whose houses, orchards and agricultural lands have been completely washed away.

"It is a matter of regret that those who lost their lands in 2023 monsoon disasters have not been allotted land so far," he said. PTI BPL RT