HP Congress hits back at PM for remarks on alleged misuse of flood aid money

Himachal Pradesh Congress leaders have hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the state government of wrongful distribution of central aid for flood victims, and asked him to explain how much funds were given to the state to deal with the disaster in 2023.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat Vikramaditya Singh made the critical remarks late Friday evening, hours after Modi told a rally the Centre gave crores of rupees during the monsoon disaster last year but the state government did a "bandar bant (indiscriminate allocation)" of funds.

Canvassing for BJP Mandi Lok Sabha seat candidate Kangana Ranaut, the PM had also said on Friday that he will recover the money from those who got it wrongly and give it to the people of Mandi.

Addressing rallies on Friday late evening, CM Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh received money under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) which are available whether there is a disaster or not.

The state government had sent a revised claim estimate of Rs 9,900 crore to the Centre but no amount was received, he said, adding BJP leaders should stop "lying" on the issue.

They should tell the truth about how much special relief amount has been given by the Centre to Himachal Pradesh, he said.

Sukhu also said that during his rallies on Friday, the PM asked the women in the state if they were getting Rs 1,500 per month as promised by the Congress before polls.

Sukhu said leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur perhaps gave the prime minister wrong information about this as women in Lahaul Spiti have started getting Rs 1,500.

As much as Rs 2.37 lakh women taking social security pension of Rs 1,150 have also started getting Rs 1500 in their accounts, Sukhu said.

The PM should ask Jairam Thakur why he went to the Election Commission to get stopped the Rs 1,500 money being given to the women.

If the BJP writes to the Election Commission today that they have no objection, tomorrow Rs 1,500 will be credited to the accounts of the women who have filled the form, Sukhu asserted.

In a video message released, Public Works Department minister Vikramaditya Singh said the people of Himachal Pradesh would have felt good had Modi visited the state during the monsoon disaster in 2023.

The state Assembly had passed a resolution seeking a Rs 12,000-crore special package but received only Rs 300 crore and that too under the NDRF and SDRF, he said, adding the state would have got the sum (Rs 300 crore) anyway.

"Where was PM Modi, who calls Himachal as his second home, during the disaster," Singh asked.

The BJP had been claiming that the Centre gave a sum of Rs 1,762 crore to the state during the disaster besides funds given for the construction of 2,300 roads and 11,000 houses for the disaster victims.