Vikramaditya visits flood-hit Mandi village, assures victim families of help

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Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh today visited the cloudburst-hit Rajban village in the Darang Assembly constituency of Mandi district and met with the affected villagers. He was accompanied by former minister Kaul Singh Thakur. On July 31, a cloudburst had caused falshfloods in Rajban village, claiming the lives of nine persons while one person went missing.

The minister said that the area had become unsafe for reconstruction due to the recent flashfloods. He added that he would consult Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu if the four affected families of Rajban village could be relocated to a safer place.

Vikramaditya expressed sympathy to the falshflood-hit families and assured them that the government would provide all possible assistance. The government had already announced Rs 4 lakh each for all families which had lost their members.

He announced a plan for infrastructure development in the region. He said that the Thaltukhod-Panjoud road would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 10 crore and its detailed project report (DPR) had already been submitted to NABARD for approval. He added that the construction of the strategically-important Bhubhu Jot tunnel would greatly benefit the area people.

Vikramaditya commended the district administration and various departments for their swift and effective relief efforts after the cloudburst. He praised the officials for their dedication and excellent relief work.

The minister also addressed issues raised by the residents of Thaltukhod. SDM, Padhar, Himani Sharma, Tehsildar Bhavna Verma, senior PWD and other administrative officers were present during the visit.