Shimla, Mar 24 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said he has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the release of Rs 9,042 crore under Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for the year 2023-24.

Shah has ensured prompt action, the chief minister said.

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Interacting with reporters in Shimla, Sukhu said he discussed important issues concerning Himachal Pradesh when he met the home minister in Delhi on Saturday.

Heavy rains had triggered floods and landslides and claimed about 550 lives in the state during monsoon in July and August 2023.

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The chief minister said a discussion was also held on the drug menace in the state. The home minister was informed that drug-related cases have declined by 30 per cent in the last two years and a new legislation was being introduced in the Vidhan Sabha to tackle this menace more effectively, he said.

Responding to a question on Himachal Pradesh Congress organisation, Sukhu said that state party in-charge Rajni Patil was in constant touch with other leaders. The office-bearers of the state party organisation would be announced soon, after due consultation with and approval from the high command.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had on November 6, 2024 dissolved the Pradesh Congress Committee in Himachal Pradesh, along with the district and block units.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)