Centre yet to release funds: Kaul Singh Thakur

SHIMLA: Rain and snowfall has affected the state not only in terms of lives, but also in terms of financial loses. The state government has already sent a memorandum of Rs 832 crore to the central government.
Himachal Pradesh rvenue mnister Kaul Singh Thakur on Tuesday informed in the assembly that rain and snow has killed 59 people and damaged 1,380 houses.The damages caused to roads have been assessed at Rs 497.13 crore.
Thakur said this while replying to the calling attention motion of Himachal Lokhit Party MLA Maheshwar Singh, who dragged the attention of the house towards the damage caused by landslide in Matth area of Kullu town.
He said that besides roads and irrigational system, even electricity system has suffered a heavy loss of Rs 41 crore. He said that so far the state government has released amount of Rs 141 crore to the deputy commissioners, PWD and IPH department.
"Even though a memorandum has already been sent to the government of India, not much funds have been received from them so far. So far, Rs 6.17 crore has been provided to Kullu deputy commissioner, Rs 32 crore to PWD and Rs 16.95 crore to IPH department. Rs 7 crore has been provided to electricity department and Rs 1 crore has been provided to agriculture department by the state government," said Thakur.
Referring to the point raised by BJP MLA Jai Ram Thakur that untimely rain and snow has uprooted apple trees at many places, Thakur said that state government has sought reports from the deputy commissioners on this.