New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Tuesday, seeking central support for the repair and reconstruction of roads damaged by recent flash floods in the state.
During the meeting, CM Sukhu briefed Minister Gadkari on the widespread devastation caused by the floods and requested assistance for the rebuilding of affected infrastructure. He also urged the inclusion of several roads under the PM Gati Shakti Yojana and highlighted delays in ongoing National Highway projects. The Chief Minister appealed for the early resolution of these delays and the prompt initiation of stalled construction work.
CM Sukhu emphasized the need for tunneling in National Highway projects to ensure long-term resilience and discussed roads of strategic importance that had already been raised with the Defence Ministry, urging swift action on those as well. He further requested the sanctioning of additional ropeway projects to ease traffic congestion in the hilly state.
In response, Union Minister Gadkari assured the Chief Minister of all possible assistance and directed officials to take the necessary steps.
The meeting was attended by MLA Sunder Singh Thakur, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Secretary PWD Abhishek Jain, Principal Resident Commissioner Sushil Kumar Singla, and senior officers from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry.
Earlier the same day, CM Sukhu also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and informed him that the state had already incurred damages worth approximately ₹1,000 crore due to flash floods and cloudbursts, despite the monsoon season just beginning. According to an official release, the Chief Minister reported loss of life and extensive damage to key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, irrigation systems, water supply, and electricity networks.
He sought liberal financial support from the Central Government for relief and restoration work. CM Sukhu noted that natural disasters have become a recurring challenge for Himachal Pradesh since 2023, with cumulative losses amounting to nearly ₹21,000 crore over the past three years.
While the state government continues to provide aid through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Chief Minister expressed concern that the state’s limited resources are insufficient to meet the growing demand for restoration and rebuilding efforts.
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