Rain fury: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu to meet PM Modi

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said he will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi to apprise them of the losses suffered by Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains.

A central team visited the affected areas in the hill state to assess the damage and will submit its report, the chief minister said in a statement issued here.

Sukhu said he will soon visit Delhi to apprise the prime minister and the home minister of the losses suffered by the state due to heavy rains.

According to the chief minister, Himachal Pradesh has suffered a substantial loss of Rs 8,000 crore due to the rains.

Sukhu is likely to visit Delhi in the first week of August, officials said.

During a visit to Chamba district on Sunday, Sukhu laid the foundation stone of and inaugurated 14 developmental projects worth Rs 82.14 crore.

He inaugurated buildings of education and health institutions, residential complexes and other offices and laid foundation stones of roads and health institutions, the statement said.

At least as 187 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents in Himachal Pradesh so far since the onset of the monsoon on June 24. Thirty-four people are missing, according to official data.

About 702 houses have been washed away in the rain, while 7,161 have been partially damaged, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.