Uttarakhand government provides financial help to missing SDM's family

Dehradun, Sept 3: The Uttarakhand government on Tuesday offered a financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh to the family of Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who has been missing ever since he fell in Mandakini river on July 31 during clean-up operations in Kedar Valley.

Handing over two cheques of Rs 20 lakh and 10 lakh to the SDM's wife and mother, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the Uttarakhand government stood by the Arora family at this hour of grief.

He said the process of providing a government job to Arora's wife is underway.

The Almora SDM, who was in his forties and had been supervising the clean-up operations at Kedarnath and adjoining areas after the ravaging floods of June, had slipped off a makeshift bridge over the Mandakini on July 31 and swept away by its swirling waters.

Arora was returning from Kedarnath shrine to Garuruchatti base camp in Rudraprayag district when he met with the mishap.

The Almora SDM had slipped off a makeshift bridge over the Mandakini on July 31.

Efforts by the state government to trace the missing SDM have so far drawn a blank.

His family had earlier announced a reward of Rs two lakh for anyone who could find him.

PTI