Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that 300 houses were damaged in the Chopal area. (File)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said residents of Kudi village, which has been "sinking" due to the recent floods in the state, would be relocated and directed officials to identify suitable land for their rehabilitation.
Chief Minister Sukhu said that the state government would also provide financial assistance to those relocated from Kudi to rebuild their houses, according to a statement issued here.
Mr Sukhu, who is on a two-day visit to Shimla district for spot assessment of losses caused by the torrential rains that wrecked the state, visited the Chopal assembly constituency during the day.
The chief minister also said that the state government has released Rs 110 crore to restore the link roads in the apple growing regions of the state. Stating that it would take a significant amount of time to restore the washed out link roads, Sukhvinder Sukhu urged the people in the region to cooperate on the matter.
He also directed the public works department to float short-term tenders immediately for the restoration of roads so that the farmers do not face any hindrance in transporting their produce to the markets.
The chief minister also said that Rs 70 crore would be spent for fixing the Chhaila-Yashwant Nagar road and constructing an alternative route towards Solan and Chandigarh.
Later, while addressing a gathering at Kiari panchayat in Kotkhai, Mr Sukhu said that more cold stores would be set up in the apple belts.
"More cold stores would be set up in the apple belts and the government is also going to set up a cold store at Kundli in Delhi for facilitating the storage of apples," the chief minister said.
He inspected the damaged properties and took estimates of the losses and said the government was doing everything possible to ensure the transportation of apples to Mandi well in time.
Sukhvinder Sukhu also said that 300 houses were partially or completely damaged in Chopal area and directed the administration to provide immediate relief of Rs 1 lakh for the partially damaged houses.
In the recent floods, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses worth approximately Rs 8000 crore, the statement said. The chief minister said that enormous damage was caused by the floods in all the regions and added that it was the biggest catastrophe witnessed in the state in the last 50 years.
Chief Minister Sukhu said Rs 189 crore out of Rs 315 crore that was pending under the National Disaster Relief Fund for the last few years due to audit objections has been released by the Union government.
The state has urged that the remaining amount also be released soon, the statement added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)