Virbhadra visits rain-ravaged areas in Himachal

Parts of Kinnaur are still entirely cut off from the rest of the state due to landslides

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Friday morning reached Kinnaur district, parts of which are entirely cut off from the rest of the state due to landslides, to oversee the rescue and relief operations, an official here said.

"The chief minister will review the ongoing rehabilitation operation. He will also meet the locals and the stranded tourists in Nako, Kalpa, Pooh and Rekong Peo," a state government official said.

After spending the entire day, the chief minister, who was also stranded in Sangla in Kinnaur for over 60 hours and airlifted Tuesday, will return to the state capital Shimla in the evening, the official added.

Official sources said the state government has taken permission from the election commission to allow the chief minister to fly to Kinnaur, some 250 km from here, as the model code of conduct is in force in view of the Mandi parliamentary by-poll June 23.