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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu called on the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav at New Delhi on Friday evening, urging relaxation in forest norms for rehabilitation of disaster-affected families.
He apprised the Union Minister about the losses incurred by the state due to recent cloudbursts and heavy rains. He added that heavy losses occurred to buildings and infrastructure, roads, bridges, water supply schemes, and residential properties, besides losses to precious human lives during the current monsoons. Sukhu urged the Union Minister to allow the allocation of one bigha of land for the rehabilitation of disaster-affected families, who have been rendered homeless and landless. With 68 per cent of the state under forest cover, he emphasised the need to relax forest norms to facilitate rehabilitation. He also held discussions about dredging in rivers and urged the government to give necessary directions for the disposal of the dredged material for disaster prevention. He also urged that separate norms should be fixed for hill states, keeping in view their tough topography and special needs. He also apprised the Union Minister about the frequent recurrence of cloud bursts leading to natural disasters and severe losses. He informed that the matter was discussed with the Home Minister, and a team had visited the state to study the impact of climate change. Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, MLAs Sanjay Awasthy, Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Forest KK Pant, Principal Resident Commissioner Ajay Yadav and senior officers of the State Government and the Ministry were present in the meeting. Meanwhile, for the first time in its history, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has earned a record profit of Rs 315 crore in the financial year 2024-25, stated a release. According to the release, after facing losses for many years, this is the highest profit ever recorded by the Board. It is a testament to the bold steps and visionary decisions taken under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, which have steered the state towards economic stability. This milestone is not just a number, but a reflection of the commitment of the present state government to its vision of a "Nai Soch, Naya Himachal", stated the release. Until 31 March 2024, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) had accumulated losses amounting to Rs 3,742 crore. However, the present state government, through its reforms, transparent administrative policies and financial discipline, helped the Board recover from losses and turn profitable, the release said. (ANI)
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