Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, July 12
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched a scathing attack on the opposition on Friday after returning from a tour of flood and landslide-hit areas in the state. Addressing the media in Shimla, the Chief Minister said that visits to disaster-affected regions should be for public service, not political gain.
“A severe disaster has struck the state. We don’t visit affected areas to score political points but to help people,” Sukhu said. The Chief Minister urged BJP’s seven Lok Sabha MPs from the state to work with the Centre to secure forest land for the rehabilitation of families rendered landless due to the recent floods. He also revealed that no special relief package had yet been received from the Union government for either the 2023 or 2024 natural disasters—only routine disaster relief funds.
Sukhu announced that the state cabinet would soon discuss a special relief package, and he would personally travel to Delhi to submit a detailed report to the central government and push for financial assistance.
The Chief Minister also announced a major step towards revenue department reforms, introducing a new digital land registration service called ‘My Deed’. Initially launched across 10 districts, the initiative will allow residents to complete property registrations entirely online—reducing the need for visits to tehsil offices.
“This is a historic move. Within a year, we will implement faceless registrations across the state. Automatic mutation will take place shortly after registry completion,” Sukhu said, adding that all land records will be linked to Aadhaar, and ‘Bhu Aadhaar’ (Geo-ID) services are being rolled out. Over 21,000 village maps have already been digitised.
He emphasised that this marks an end to backdoor dealings and middlemen in land transactions. Referring to ongoing relief work, Sukhu stated that immediate steps are being taken to speed up road restoration. “Tenders worth up to ₹5 lakh will now be cleared through offline mode in flood-hit zones to fast-track rebuilding efforts.”
He also instructed district magistrates to issue death certificates for those missing in the disaster, acknowledging the low likelihood of survival and the need to avoid delays in compensation. Concluding his address, the Chief Minister said, “I am here to serve, not for name or credit. BJP leaders should bring relief from Delhi. I will walk with them wherever necessary.”
