Declare Himachal calamity a 'national disaster': Sukhu to PM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the recent rain-led calamity in the state as a 'national disaster' and sought a special relief package.

Sukhu met Modi and discussed various issues related to Himachal Pradesh during the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday.

During his meeting with the prime minister, Sukhu described the gravity of the damage caused by natural disasters during the monsoon, the state government said in a statement.

Sukhu said more than 400 people died in the calamity while over 13,000 houses were damaged, leaving thousands of families homeless, it added.

The Himachal Pradesh chief minister also informed Modi that the state has suffered cumulative losses exceeding Rs 12,000 crore due to the natural disasters.

Himachal Pradesh requires substantial assistance from the Centre to rebuild and chart a path toward recovery, he told the prime minister, according to the statement.

Sukhu also urged the prime minister to release a special relief package for Himachal Pradesh, drawing a parallel to the support provided during the Bhuj and the Kedarnath tragedies.

The prime minister listened intently to Sukhu's concerns and assured him that the demands will be considered sympathetically, the statement claimed.

President Murmu on Saturday hosted a grand dinner for G20 guests at Bharat Mandapam -- the venue for the Summit -- in New Delhi.

Dignitaries including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his UK and Australian counterparts Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, presidents and prime ministers from other countries, representatives of 19 invited nations, dignitaries from international organisations, Union ministers and chief ministers of various states attended the dinner.