Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 16 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday urged the Union government to provide at least one bigha of land to families whose homes and farmlands have been washed away in the ongoing monsoon disaster, and to relax provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, to make forest land available for rehabilitation.

'In Himachal, 68 per cent of land falls under forests, and the Forest Conservation Act applies there. The state government cannot use even one inch of that land for rehabilitation or to provide to the needy. I appeal to the Centre to relax this law so that land can be made available to disaster-hit families,' Sukhu told reporters.

The Chief Minister noted that the state has already announced a special package for the Mandi district, the worst affected by floods and landslides.

'Certainly, the maximum benefit will go to the Seraj Assembly constituency, which has suffered the most damage. Even if a relative donates land to a family, the state government will pay the registration fee. Many affected families do not want to return to the damaged areas, and for their resettlement, we need the Union government's support,' he said.

Sukhu recalled that in 2023, the Himachal Assembly had passed a resolution seeking Rs 10,000 crore in special relief aid from the Centre, but alleged that the BJP did not support the move at the time.

'Now, a BJP delegation has met central leaders for relief. That is welcome. We too are waiting for a special package release soon,' he said, adding that he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who had also sent a scientific team to study the recurring pattern of disasters.

On the row over advertisements for Vice-Chancellor posts at Dr YS Parmar Horticulture University (Nauni, Solan) and Agriculture University (Palampur), Sukhu said the matter was misrepresented to the Governor by officials.

'Whatever has been done is with Cabinet approval and state legislation. I will meet the Governor to resolve the issue. I respect the Governor and have always worked in line with his advice,' he said, but added that 'constitutional powers rest with the state legislature, and those directives must be respected.' he added.

The state Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, while refraining from commenting on the High Court stay on the VC appointment matter, defended his stand.

'For the universities, whatever I did was in their interest. The court has stayed it, and I respect that. Whatever has to be done, I will do. I will leave it to the people of Himachal to decide why such steps were taken with Nauni and Palampur universities,' he said.

Shukla also recalled his recent visit to a disaster-hit region, praising the resilience of local residents. 'I appreciate the courage of Himachal residents. I was afraid on that road, but they were driving fearlessly. When I went to distribute relief material, I saw respect in their hearts for one another. That is a big thing about Himachal, something rare in other places,' he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, underlined the scale of losses suffered in the state over two consecutive years. 'For the last two years, Himachal has faced heavy damage. Last year losses exceeded Rs 10,000 crore, yet we did not get adequate help from the Centre. This year again, huge losses have occurred, especially in the Jal Shakti department, where many water schemes have been washed away. A very large amount is needed to restore them,' he said.

Agnihotri said the government has revised the relief package announced after last year's disaster.

'Earlier we had given Rs 7 lakh for fully damaged houses. Now we have increased support, including compensation for animals lost and land damaged. We have authorised Deputy Commissioners to notify new areas as disaster-affected so they can also be covered under relief,' he explained.

On the delayed unveiling of the statue of former CM Virbhadra Singh at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla, Agnihotri clarified that it was postponed due to adverse weather.

'Virbhadra Singh ji was a towering leader who ruled the hearts of people for 50 years. Just as Dr YS Parmar created Himachal, Virbhadra Singh shaped modern Himachal. His statue will be dedicated to the public as soon as the weather improves, with participation of our central leadership,' he said. (ANI)