Cong blowing Joshimath crisis out of proportion: U'khand CM

JOSHIMATH: Criticising the Congress, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said the land subsidence crisis in Joshimath, and the situation emerging out of it has been blown out of proportion by "certain people".

During an interaction with the mediapersons, the Chief Minister said while relief and rescue operations had been carried out in the affected areas, the government is also focussing on the preparations for the Char Dham yatra.

He has also slammed the Congress leaders who went to Jammu and Kashmir to attend the closing ceremony of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30 for raising the issue of the Joshimath crisis there.

Dhami said the Congress is trying to defame the state of Uttarakhand by raising the Joshimath issue in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister, while referring to the land subsidence crisis in Joshimath which has affected hundreds of houses, shops and other establishments apart from displacing many families, said that misconceptions are being spread about the situation in the town.

The Chief Minister said that 70 per cent of the people of Joshimath have been living a normal life.

He said the way the problems are being shown and told, not exist.

CM Dhami also said that the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel have been deployed to help the affected. Along with this, rehabilitation work is also being carried out.

He said that in such a situation, a message carrying the impression "that the entire Joshimath area is unsafe" should not be spread.

Dhami said that 70 per cent of shops are open in the city and all essential functions are operating normally.

The CM further said he has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Joshimath, adding that the Central government is "constantly monitoring the situation".