"Challenging times": BJP Chief JP Nadda assures Centre's assistance to flood-hit Himachal 

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 20 (ANI): JP Nadda, Bharatiya Janata Party National President on Sunday expressed the Centre's commitment to offering substantial assistance to Himachal Pradesh in view of the unprecedented loss, the government informed through an official statement.
"He (PM) assured that efforts would be directed towards securing the earliest release of the interim relief's first instalment. Nadda emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge of unwavering support to the state during these challenging times. He said that it is the resolve of the Union Government in mitigating the losses incurred and ensuring adequate funds for recovery," JP Nadda said, informed the statement.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, JP Nadda and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur here today convened a detailed discussion to address the extensive damage caused by a recent disaster in Himachal Pradesh, the government informed through an official statement.
During the meeting, the CM provided a comprehensive overview of the destruction wreaked upon the state by the calamity.
He appealed for financial aid akin to that provided during the Kedarnath and Bhuj tragedies to aid the state's recovery efforts. The Chief Minister underscored the severity of the situation and said that substantial landslides, widespread destruction of homes, and extensive damage to public and private property have been caused, the statement informed. 
"He said that the current Relief Manual of the Union government’s financial provisions are inadequate to compensate for the losses of Himachal Pradesh and called for a specially tailored relief package considering the state's geographical conditions and the severity of the disaster," the CM said, informed the statement.
CM Sukhu also took up the issue of the delayed release of the first instalment of interim relief from the Union Government.
"He implored JP Nadda and Anurag Thakur to expedite the process of providing financial assistance, revealing that the disaster had resulted in losses surpassing Rs. 10,000 crore due to heavy rains and landslides in the current monsoon season, read the statement, adding, "That despite assessment teams being sent by the central government, the interim relief was still pending".
CM Sukhu said that the state government had been utilizing its limited resources to support the impacted population.
The CM Sukhu said that the allocation of Rs 360 crore annually under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in two instalments has been released by the Union Government.
"He said that the release of Rs 189 crore out of the held-up Rs 315 crore, has been made by the Union government due to state government efforts in addressing audit objections. He called for the prompt disbursement of the remaining Rs 126 crore," the CM said.
The CM said that by August 10, 2023, the state government has raised claims worth Rs 6,700 crore by sending a detailed report of the damages caused in the state to the central government.
CM Sukhu also elaborated on the state's initiatives to enhance structural engineering and drainage systems, including plans for a new town near Shimla in Jathiya Devi.
The statement further added that JP Nadda expressed the Union government's commitment to offering substantial assistance to Himachal Pradesh in view of the unprecedented loss.
I&B minister Anurag Thakur and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur also provided their insights during the meeting.
MPs Suresh Kashyap and Sikandar Kumar, Principal Advisor (Media) to the Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan, BJP State President Rajeev Bindal, Former Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, MLA Balbir Verma, Former MLA Ram Lal Markanda, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary to the CM, Bharat Kheda, Principal Private Secretary to the CM Vivek Bhatia, dignitaries and senior officers were present on the occasion. (ANI)