The state government has released Rs 8.97 crore to provide rental assistance to families whose homes were completely damaged or rendered uninhabitable due to the heavy monsoon rains in 2025. The move aims to ensure that affected households can secure temporary accommodation without financial hardship.
Under the initiative, rental assistance of Rs 10,000 per family is being provided in urban areas and Rs 5,000 per family in rural areas from the state’s own resources. So far, 2,817 families in rural areas and 88 families in urban areas have benefited from the support.
The 2025 monsoon disaster impacted around 16,488 families across the state. During this period, 2,246 houses were completely destroyed, while 7,888 houses suffered partial damage.
A government spokesperson said that, for the first time in the country, financial assistance for disaster victims has been significantly enhanced under a special relief package. The first installment of Rs 141.61 crore has been released to beneficiaries for reconstruction of damaged houses.
Over the past three years, nearly all regions of the state have faced monsoon-related disasters, causing extensive damage to private and public property. The estimated cumulative loss exceeds Rs 16,500 crore. In 2023, the state government introduced a special relief package from its own resources to support affected families, and the assistance has been continued in 2025.
Under the revised relief norms, compensation for completely damaged houses has been increased from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, while assistance of Rs 1 lakh has been fixed for partially damaged houses. Compensation for loss of household items has been raised from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1 lakh for homeowners and Rs 50,000 for tenants.
Additionally, new provisions have been introduced, including Rs 25,000 assistance for damaged polyhouses and Rs 50,000 for debris and silt removal—areas that previously had no compensation coverage.
The spokesperson added that a central assessment team evaluating the 2023 natural disaster had estimated losses at Rs 9,042 crore. The state government prioritized relief and rehabilitation, restoring roads, electricity and drinking water supply in affected areas on a war footing. The government reaffirmed its commitment to extending all possible assistance to disaster-affected families using its own resources.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
