Shimla: Union health minister and BJP national president J P Nadda, along with BJP Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh Harsh Mahajan, met road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday and sought help for the damaged roads and highways in the hill state.After the meeting, Nadda said Gadkari assured them that the central govt would not leave any stone unturned to help Himachal and the roads damaged by the disaster would be repaired on a war footing.The vision presented by the central minister regarding road construction technology, tunnels, and bridges will significantly benefit Himachal, Nadda added.The health minister said the pace of development in the rural areas of Himachal would now accelerate. The central govt has approved a material budget of Rs 201 crore for the state under the first phase of MNREGA, he informed. This amount will expedite small and large projects, including steps, pathways, and roads at the panchayat level.Nadda mentioned that Himachal had been consistently receiving funds from the central govt under the national disaster relief fund and the state disaster relief fund, with over Rs 5,000-crore in aid already provided to the state.The central govt is always ready to provide relief, having stood by Himachal financially in the past and will continue to do so, said the BJP national president. Recalling the 2023 monsoon season, Nadda mentioned the disasters in Mandi and Kullu, during which he had visited Himachal three times. He recalled that Rs 3,146 crore in relief was provided by the central govt to the hill state.Recently, the central govt allocated Rs 2,006 crore to Himachal for rehabilitation under the NDRF, totalling Rs 5,152 crore, said Nadda.Also, more than one lakh houses have been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and roads worth over Rs 3,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, he added.Shimla: Union health minister and BJP national president J P Nadda, along with BJP Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh Harsh Mahajan, met road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday and sought help for the damaged roads and highways in the hill state.After the meeting, Nadda said Gadkari assured them that the central govt would not leave any stone unturned to help Himachal and the roads damaged by the disaster would be repaired on a war footing.The vision presented by the central minister regarding road construction technology, tunnels, and bridges will significantly benefit Himachal, Nadda added.The health minister said the pace of development in the rural areas of Himachal would now accelerate. The central govt has approved a material budget of Rs 201 crore for the state under the first phase of MNREGA, he informed. This amount will expedite small and large projects, including steps, pathways, and roads at the panchayat level.Nadda mentioned that Himachal had been consistently receiving funds from the central govt under the national disaster relief fund and the state disaster relief fund, with over Rs 5,000-crore in aid already provided to the state.The central govt is always ready to provide relief, having stood by Himachal financially in the past and will continue to do so, said the BJP national president. Recalling the 2023 monsoon season, Nadda mentioned the disasters in Mandi and Kullu, during which he had visited Himachal three times. He recalled that Rs 3,146 crore in relief was provided by the central govt to the hill state.Recently, the central govt allocated Rs 2,006 crore to Himachal for rehabilitation under the NDRF, totalling Rs 5,152 crore, said Nadda.Also, more than one lakh houses have been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and roads worth over Rs 3,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, he added.
