Chidambaram reviews CII rehabilitation work in Ladakh

LEH - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram handed over to a family in Leh the keys of the first of the 13 houses being built by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) under the prime minister’s rehabilitation programme following the August flashfloods that ravaged Ladakh.

Chidambaram Saturday paid a visit to some villages in the cold desert region of Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the rehabilitation work for the flashflood hit families.

Hundreds of people were rendered homeless in the aftermath of the cloudburst tragedy in which over 200 people were killed.

The CII took over the rehabilitation of Saboo village where they are building 13 houses, each at the cost of Rs.5 lakh, a statement from industry lobby said.

The home minister spent about 20 minutes at the site where the CII is constructing houses and interacted with villagers. He went into each room of the under-construction houses and learnt from a CII team about the technology and material used to build the structures.

Two houses have been completed and the balance 11 houses are expected to be completed by March or early April 2011.

“Right now, due to harsh winters setting in, the construction has to stop,” the statement said.