Himachal flood: Virbhadra Singh hits back at BJP, says 'loss to property much higher than estimated'

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said that loss to the public and private property could be much higher due to flash floods in the state than the preliminary estimate of around Rs. 2,575 crores as estimated by his government.

"The detailed estimate of flash floods loss would be assessed after the normal life is restored in the entire area .He said that revenue officials would conduct detailed survey to the loss of property and state govt will give suitable compensation to the people who has lost lives and property in the devastating flash floods," said Singh.

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Singh said that the tragedy has pushed the state one year back in terms of development and around ninety percent of cash crops, particularly apple crop, has been completely destroyed by the flash floods in Kinnaur district.

He also said consumers of metropolitan cities will miss the popular apple varieties of snow bound Kinnaur district during current apple season, and added that the government has dropped 300 horticulture experts in the Kinnaur region to restore the damaged apple trees and bring them to original shape and size through various horticulture techniques.

The Chief Minister further said that all the stranded tourists in Kinnaur have been airlifted, and added that no death of any tourist has been reported from flood areas of the state.

He said that it was for the first time in the history of Kinnaur district that the area had experienced snowfall in the month of June, and added that the entire area had experienced heavy snowfall and rainfall for continuous 72 hours from 15th to 17th June.

He also said that restoration of electricity, water supply and other essential services is being done on war footing in the entire area, and hoped that all the essential services will be restored in the entire affected area in a month time.

Taking on the top BJP leaders for labelling baseless allegations against his government regarding flood relief measures, he said that not even a single leader of the saffron brigade has visited the flood-affected areas of the state so far, and added that they only criticize the government and provoke the people while sitting in their homes comfortably at distant places from tragedy sites.