A delegation of state Members of Parliament, led by former Union minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur, met with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested the swift approval of Himachal Pradesh Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness Loan Agreement.
This agreement entails financial assistance of ₹900 crore for the state under the Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness Project.
Anurag Thakur said, “Today, BJP MPs from Himachal Pradesh met finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to request expedited approval for the ₹900 crore loan proposal submitted by the Himachal government. This proposal was first deliberated during the 104th screening committee meeting in February 2020 and formally presented to the French Development Agency (AFD) in May 2020. Subsequently, the loan agreement between AFD and the Government of India, on behalf of the Himachal Pradesh government, was negotiated in a virtual meeting on September 27, 2024, with the presence of key stakeholders, including the ministries of housing and urban affairs, home affairs and the controller of aid, accounts, and audit (CAAA).”
He further added, “The finance minister assured us of prompt action to ensure the effective implementation of the programme. Himachal Pradesh faces natural disasters almost every year due to its challenging geography. Last year alone, I, along with Union minister for rural development Giriraj Singh secured approvals for 16,206 homes under the Housing for All scheme and 2,700 km of roads worth ₹2,373 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Furthermore, under the directives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government provided ₹1,782 crore in financial aid to Himachal Pradesh for disaster relief.”
{{/usCountry}}He further added, “The finance minister assured us of prompt action to ensure the effective implementation of the programme. Himachal Pradesh faces natural disasters almost every year due to its challenging geography. Last year alone, I, along with Union minister for rural development Giriraj Singh secured approvals for 16,206 homes under the Housing for All scheme and 2,700 km of roads worth ₹2,373 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Furthermore, under the directives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government provided ₹1,782 crore in financial aid to Himachal Pradesh for disaster relief.”
{{/usCountry}}The delegation included BJP MPs Rajeev Bhardwaj, Kangana Ranaut, Indu Goswami and Sikandar Kumar.