Himachal Government to Fast-Track Declarations of Deaths in Natural Disasters

The Himachal Pradesh government is considering faster declaration of deaths for individuals missing in natural disasters. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted the issue in the state Assembly, stating that the current seven-year wait period causes emotional trauma for families. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi noted 41 cases of missing persons in the past two years.

The Himachal Pradesh government is exploring faster procedures for declaring deaths of those missing in natural disasters, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced in the state Assembly on Friday.

Addressing a question by Nand Lal (Congress) about ex-gratia grants to families of the missing, Sukhu emphasized the growing frequency of cloud bursts and the emotional distress caused by the current seven-year waiting period for declaring a missing person dead.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi reported that 41 people have gone missing in natural disasters over the past two years. He mentioned that although the government had relaxed this stipulation during a disaster in Uttarakhand, any long-term change requires approval from the Union Government.

Such procedures were enforced in Himachal Pradesh post the 2023 natural disasters, he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)