Dehra Dun, Feb 04: The Uttaranchal government has requested the Centre to provide at least Rs 500 crore as relief for the rehabilitation of the people of the state.

Chief Minister N D Tiwari in a letter to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has stated that if the Centre failed to take the timely steps in controlling landslides and soil erosion of the Varnabrat mountain (VM) ranges than there would be no other option but to shift the entire population of Uttarkashi to other places.
This would entail an investment of around Rs 500 crores which is not possible within the limited resources of a small state like Uttaranchal, the CM said.
He said that he had already written to the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in this regard.
Tiwari said the damaged suffered by the state government from the landslides and soil erosion is estimated at over Rs 85 crores.
Apart from this the state has suffered heavily on account of excess rains and floods, particularly in districts of Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi, Udamsingh Nagar.
Bureau Report