Centre to grant Rs 200 crore to U'khand for rebuilding houses

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation will grant Rs 200 crore to Uttarakhand to help reconstruction of residential buildings destroyed in the recent calamity.

The ministry will also help the state government get a soft loan worth Rs 2,000 crore to assist in rebuilding damaged infrastructure.

This was announced by D S Negi, Officer on Special Duty (JNNURM & Rajiv Avas Yojana) in the Union Ministry who led a delegation of HUDCO, BMTPC and HPL officials to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to discuss ways to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy.

As the state government grapples with the after-effects of one of the worst natural disasters to have hit the country in recent times, the Centre has relaxed the norms to give it the maximum advantage of its flagship schemes like Indira Avas yojana, MNREGA, JNNURM and RAY.

The state government will construct 24 model houses each at three places in the state using modern techniques for people who have been rendered homeless by the tragedy, the chief minister said adding the land will soon be idenitified for the purpose.