Declare Uttarakhand calamity-hit

The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling on the Centre to declare the state as calamity-affected in the wake of havoc wrought by incessant rains.

The state also sought a package of Rs 21,000 crore from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation measures. During an 8-hour discussion, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhiryal Nishank said heavy rains had wreaked havoc in the state killing 170 people. As he was making a statement in the House on the devastation caused by rains, Congress and BSP members trooped into the well saying the government had completely failed to deal with the situation. Rejecting the charge, Nishank said the government machinery was working on a war-footing finishing repair work on 496 damaged roads. He said an amount of Rs 21 crore had already been provided to each of the 13 districts for relief work. The House observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in torrential rains.