Uttarakhand govt asks states to verify the lists of missing persons

The Uttarakhand government has asked Uttar Pradesh and many other state governments to verify the list of missing persons for providing the compensation.

Uttar Pradesh and also a couple of other states have not verified information related to the missing persons. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna also spoke to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav and requested him to immediately issue directions to his officials in this regard. The Uttarakhand government has a list of 1,920 people from Uttar Pradesh, which is yet to be verified.

Bahuguna said that the governments of all the states were being asked to complete formalities and verify lists from their states so that relief money could be handed over to the families of the missing people.

The chief minister said he would also meet Union Finance Minister P Chidambram at New Delhi soon in order to formulate guidelines related to disbursement of compensation to the families of the persons, who went missing in the recent calamity.

So far, of 924 missing people, monetary relief has been provided to families of 700 people. The chief minister added that the rehabilitation work was being carried out in full swing in the disaster-hit areas.

The chief minister said the state would take help the World Bank for reconstruction work.

Bahuguna said his government has also given its consent, in principle, to the request made by the Kedarnath Temple Committee and local purohits to conduct puja in the temple premises on September 11. Efforts are being made to ensure complete arrangements for the puja, Bahuguna said.