Centre grants Rs 7,000 crore as relief for flood-hit Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: The Centre has approved Rs 7,000 crore as relief for reconstruction of property damaged during the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in June this year.

Five PSU programme management unit have been established for the reconstruction and development of the flood-hit state, Uttarakhand Chief secretary Subhash Kumar said during a meeting with senior state officials yesterday.

It was decided during the meeting that the first installment of the money for reconstruction would be issued by December 15.

Around 2,000 families have expressed their desire to construct their houses themselves and the state government would provide money for it while around 102 families want prefabricated houses from the state government. Work for the construction of prefabricated houses has begun.

The government has also given Rs 3,000 monthly rent till February 2014 to the displaced people.

An arrangement for Rs 84 crore and Rs 144 crore has also been made for drinking water schemes.

It was also announced that Rs 120 crore have been sanctioned for construction of helipads at 52 locations.

Tourism department will also reconstruct tourist homes and 38 other guest houses while Rs 1,500 crore would be sanctioned for road reconstruction.

Around Rs 1,000 crore have been sanctioned for irrigation sector and embankments would also be constructed in the flood-prone areas of the state.

The money spent from the National Disaster Response Force fund and Chief Minister Relief Fund should be reported by December 15, Additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma has said in the meeting.