Rawat seeks interest subvention on loans in flood-affected areas

The CM also sends a letter to FM Arun Jaitley about the calamitous floods that wreaked havoc in the hill state in June 2013

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has asked the Centre to waive interest on all bank loans of the people residing in the disaster-affected areas of the state.

The chief minister also sent a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about the calamitous floods that wreaked havoc in the hill state in June 2013. "We have done everything that we could do for the flood-affected people through our own resources. But the centre should also put a moratorium on the interest of loans for the three financial years starting from 2013-14," said Rawat.

Surendra Kumar, a spokesperson for the chief minister, told Business Standard that the demand for waiver of the interest on loans is not new.

The chief minister has now sent a fresh letter to the Union minister in this regard after writing a couple of letters earlier.

The five districts where Rawat is seeking interest subvention for the people are Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh, which bore the brunt of the disaster.

On the floods in the Chardham area in the past few days, Rawat said the government has not stopped the pilgrimage to Char Dham shrines but is only trying to regulate it keeping in mind the recent heavy rain in the region. He said the government was taking care of the stranded pilgrims by providing them facilities such as food and accommodation.