BJP veteran Shanta Kumar praises Himachal govt for rain-related relief work 

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 13 (ANI): Veteran BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar on Sunday praised the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government for doing an "excellent job" in dealing with the devastation caused by heavy rains in the state.
He also called for government-Opposition cooperation in this time of emergency. 
"The government is coping with the disaster in a good way. The government should seek cooperation from the opposition and the entire opposition should help the government," Shanta Kumar said. 
"I congratulate the government for the manner in which thousands of tourists have been evacuated from difficult areas. I would like to see the whole state fighting this disaster unitedly," he added. 
Himachal Pradesh continues to witness the monsoon fury, triggering landslides and flash floods. In that series, a fresh landslide was reported from Bilaspur district on Saturday. The combined death toll from rains, floods, and landslides in the state has reached 223 since the onset of the monsoon on June 24. "So far, 223 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh and 295 have been injured. As many as 800 houses have also been damaged completely, while another 7500 houses have been partially damaged," Himachal Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Saturday. (ANI)