Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu donates his Rs 51 lakh lifetime savings towards ‘Aapda Rahat Kosh’ | Shimla News

SHIMLA: In the disaster hit Himachal Pradesh where thousands of people have been left homeless and landless after flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc during monsoon season, the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has come forward to help the needy by donating his lifetime savings of Rs 51 lakh in the “Aapda Rahat Kosh” (Disaster Relief Fund) set up for aiding the disaster affected people.

With this action, Sukhu has set an example before other politicians of the state and country. The HP government needs over Rs 10,000 crore to carry out the reconstruction work.
Sukhu said that he donated money from his three saving accounts and this was an effort from his side to help the needy people. He said many children have already contributed money from their piggy banks in the disaster relief fund.
This monsoon season has caused extensive and unprecedented damage in Himachal Pradesh with a total monetary loss of Rs 8,680 crore calculated till Thursday. In the state, 2,615 houses have been fully damaged, 11,022 houses damaged partially. Besides this, massive damage has also been caused to other public and private properties.
This monsoon season 165 incidents of landslides and 72 incidents of flash floods were reported so far.
This is for the first time in the history of the state when a chief minister for that matter has donated his lifetime savings to help the needy people. Sukhu and his wife Kamlesh Thakur presented a cheque of Rs 51 lakh to the chief secretary Prabodh Saxena at their official residence, ‘Oak Over’, in Shimla on Friday. deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, industries minister Harshvardhan Chauhan and some other ministers were also present on the occasion.
“I could well understand the pain of the people and their plight during the recent monsoon fury in which more than 260 precious lives were lost and many rendered homeless, besides suffering huge losses,” the CM said.
He said that every section of the society had voluntarily contributed towards the relief fund. Even the children broke their piggy banks to help those in distress, the elders parted with their pension and the state government employees contributed generously from their salary to contribute towards the “Aapda Rahat Kosh”.
The people of Himachal have stood together to face the catastrophe, he said.
Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to the chief minister, said that even during the Covid pandemic, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had given Rs 31 lakh from MLA fund. Besides, he also gave away his one year’s salary and contributed 11 lakh towards the State Relief fund from his savings and fixed deposits.