Kharge slams Centre over Himachal relief fund delay

New Delhi

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday strongly criticized the central government over the delay in releasing disaster relief funds to Himachal Pradesh. In a post on social media platform X, Kharge said the Himachal government had requested ₹9,000 crore in relief, but the Centre had only provided ₹433 crore after the 2023 disaster, despite the Congress-led state government releasing ₹4,500 crore on its own.

Kharge accused the Modi government of giving stepmotherly treatment to Himachal Pradesh. He pointed out that although ₹2,000 crore was recently announced in haste for 2023, the actual relief is still pending. He urged the BJP to stop taking credit and instead take real action to support the state in need.

Expressing sorrow over the recent loss of lives and property due to heavy rains and landslides in the state, Kharge said the situation is extremely distressing. He extended condolences to the affected families and appreciated the ongoing relief and rescue work.

Kharge also appealed to Congress leaders and workers to assist the public in every possible way and reiterated his demand that the central government immediately release the pending disaster relief funds for Himachal Pradesh.

According to official data, 51 people have lost their lives, and 22 remain missing due to recent flash floods and landslides in the state.

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Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hit back at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s criticism of Digital India, calling it outdated and misleading. Scindia highlighted the revival of BSNL, rapid 5G rollout, and expansion of BharatNet under the Modi government. He also cited strong steps against cyber fraud, dismissing Kharge’s claims as lacking proper context.