Himachal floods: Priyanka Gandhi visits Shiv temple at Summer Hill to review relief operations, interacts with victims

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 13 (ANI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday visited the flood-hit Shiv Temple at Summer Hill of Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district to review the relief and restoration efforts, and interacted with the flood victims.
The area was hit by a massive landslide on August 14 which had claimed at least 19 lives.
Himachal Pradesh continued to bear the brunt of incessant rain triggering landslides, leading to buildings collapsing in several areas of the state.
Gandhi was accompanied by HP Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The northern state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 8,679 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 11.
More than 2,575 houses have been fully damaged and 11,000 have been partially affected.
However, HP Congress chief and MP Pratibha Singh, while speaking to ANI said that she has written a letter to all the MPs asking them to come together and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"...This is my duty that the concern of Himachal Pradesh should be brought to the attention of the PM. I have written a letter to all our MPs that we should together go and meet the PM. And will caution the PM that he didn't even speak a word on Himachal Pradesh where such a tragedy occurred and no financial aid has been announced for this,” Singh said.
She also said that she would raise the issue of the state in the Parliament during its Special Session called on September 18.
“I will raise this issue in the Parliament too, that Himachal Pradesh should be helped during these times," Singh added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Priyanka who was is the Kullu district along with the CM said that the Center should declare the Himachal Pradesh massive catastrophe as a 'National Disaster' and should immediately come forward to help the affected.
"The Central Government should not discriminate between the States on party lines. It becomes the duty of the Union Government to provide aid in such circumstances, analyzing the impact of the disaster. The Center should declare such a massive catastrophe as a 'National Disaster' and should immediately come forward for the help of the affected," Priyanka Gandhi said while speaking to ANI.
Priyanka said that though the State Government was doing far beyond its limited resources to provide succour to the affected families, however, without the assistance of the Union Government it was rather difficult to bring normalcy and renovation works besides providing aid to the people.
Priyanka Gandhi, while interacting with the media at Manali, lauded the efforts of the people of the State who had come forward in this hour of distress by voluntarily contributing towards the Aapda Rahat Kosh to help the affected population.
"The people of Himachal have set an example for the Nation by uniting and coming to the forefront to help the affected families," Priyanka said. She also lauded the efforts of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues who were on the spot for more than three days monitoring the relief and rescue operations. (ANI)