HP: Locals in Solan disappointed after Priyanka's visit cancelled at last moment

Priyanka Gandhi paid a visit to the flood-hit areas in Kullu and Mandi districts in the state along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

"Due to the rain and floods, we have lost almost everything we cultivated throughout this year. The production of tomatoes was less...We have lost roads and houses in these floods. We want restoration. Today Priyanka Gandhi ji was to visit here but we got to know she is not visiting now. It is a bit disappointing," Khush Dev Sharam, a local resident said while speaking to ANI.

The local women were desperately waiting for Priyanka Gandhi to come to the district. They were left disappointed after her programme got cancelled.

"We have lost fields and crops. Roads are also damaged. We have already submitted the reports to the Panchayat and are waiting for assistance. Today we wanted to meet Priyanka Gandhi here, people were waiting here on the road for her and now at the last moment, we got information that she is not coming. We wanted to meet her and were planning to take up things with her, we don't know why it has been cancelled," another local resident, Reenu said.

Priyanka Gandhi who was visiting the calamity-hit areas of the Kullu district along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that the Center should declare the Himachal Pradesh massive catastrophe as a 'National Disaster' and should immediately come forward to help the affected.

"The Central Government should not discriminate between the States on party lines. It becomes the duty of the Union Government to provide aid in such circumstances, analyzing the impact of the disaster. The Center should declare such a massive catastrophe as a 'National Disaster' and should immediately come forward for the help of the affected," Priyanka Gandhi said while speaking to ANI.

Priyanka said that though the State Government was doing far beyond its limited resources to provide succour to the affected families, however, without the assistance of the Union Government it was rather difficult to bring normalcy and renovation works besides providing aid to the people.

Priyanka Gandhi, while interacting with the media at Manali, lauded the efforts of the people of the State who had come forward in this hour of distress by voluntarily contributing towards the Aapda Rahat Kosh to help the affected population.

"The people of Himachal have set an example for the Nation by uniting and coming to the forefront to help the affected families," Priyanka said. She also lauded the efforts of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues who were on the spot for more than three days monitoring the relief and rescue operations.

Speaking about the plight of horticulturalists who have suffered in the monsoon rain fury in the state, Priyanka said, "Even the farmers and horticulturalists of the State have suffered enormous losses and the Centre should pay heed towards their plight as well. Some big industrial houses, dealing in fruit marketing, have reduced the price of the apple crop thereby causing losses to the horticulturalists. The centre has also reduced the import duty on the Washington apple, which will also directly affect the horticulturalists of the State, thereby causing losses to them. The Central leadership should also think about the benefits of the farmers and horticulturalists of the State." (ANI)