500 homes damaged, 30 missing; LoP criticises relief efforts as inadequate
Munish Sood
MANDI: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday (July 3, 2025) expressed deep concern over the scale of destruction in his home constituency Seraj in Mandi district following the recent flashfloods and landslides.
Addressing a press conference in Mandi, Jai Ram said the tragedy had “pushed Seraj back by 25 years”.
“For 27 years, the people of Seraj and I worked to bring the region forward. This disaster has undone decades of progress,” he said.
According to Jai Ram, several villages, including Janjehli, Jarol, Chyuni, Lambathach, Thunag, Bagsyad, Bara, Parwara, Thachi, Somnachni, Kuklah and Bakhli, have suffered extensive damage. Over 500 houses and shops have been damaged, 25 bridges destroyed and many roads rendered unusable. In several areas, road infrastructure is so badly affected that new roads will have to be constructed.
At least 30 persons are still missing and nine bodies have been recovered. The worst-affected area is Deji village in Pakharair panchayat where 11 residents remain untraced. More than 80 vehicles have been washed away.
Condemnds state government’s ‘poor response’
Jai Ram criticised the state government’s response, calling the relief efforts “slow and insufficient.”
“The NDRF and SDRF teams have reached Seraj, but the scale of deployment and urgency is lacking. At this pace, it may take months just to restore basic services,” he said.
He questioned Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s brief visit to Seraj, saying, “The CM landed at a helipad, stayed for two minutes, distributed a few ration packets and left. This was more about optics than ground assessment.”
Jai Ram also alleged that his repeated attempts to speak with the Chief Minister went unanswered. “I called him six times this morning. His office said he was unavailable and had instructed not to connect calls,” he said.
Jai Ram demands central assistance
Replying to a media question, Jai Ram confirmed that he had written to the central government, seeking compensation and a comprehensive relief package. He also acknowledged the Centre’s approval of a Rs 6,000 crore disaster aid fund, urging that the amount be utilised on a priority basis.
Call for urgent restoration work
Jai Ram Thakur urged the administration to deploy more equipment, including heavy-duty machinery, and to begin road, power and water restoration on a war footing. He emphasised that relief distribution should not be politicised.
“The focus must be on providing relief to affected families — not media coverage. The government must act with seriousness and speed,” he said.
He also appealed for satellite communication tools and improved coordination to reach remote areas where connectivity is lost.
‘My life is tied to the people of Seraj’
Closing the briefing, Jai Ram Thakur said, “My life and death are with the people of Seraj. Their pain is personal to me.” He warned the state government to act decisively, saying he was observing developments closely.
The press conference was attended by BJP MLAs Anil Sharma (Mandi Sadar), Vinod Kumar (Nachan), Inder Singh Gandhi (Balh) and district BJP president Nihal Chand Sharma, among others.
