Dehradun, Sept. 5 -- Uttarakhand government has sought a special relief package of Rs.5,702.15 crore from the Centre to compensate for the losses caused by this year's monsoon and to strengthen vulnerable infrastructure against natural disasters, officials said. Officials aware of the matter said that in a memorandum sent to the Union home ministry, state disaster management and rehabilitation secretary Vinod Kumar Suman has outlined the extent of damage and the urgent requirement for central assistance. The memorandum was addressed to the additional secretary, disaster management division, MHA. According to the memorandum, government departments have suffered direct losses worth Rs.1,944.15 crore due to landslides, flash floods, heavy rains and related calamities between April 1 and August 31 this year. The Public Works Department and rural roads sustained the maximum damage, amounting to nearly Rs.1,163.84 crore, while irrigation structures suffered losses of Rs.266.65 crore. "While the state has sought Rs.1,944.15 crore for reconstruction and recovery of damaged infrastructure, an additional Rs.3,758 crore has been demanded to stabilise vulnerable assets, roads, bridges, populated areas and other public infrastructure that remain at risk of further destruction. This support is critical to ensure impact of recurring disasters on Uttarakhand is minimized and large-scale losses are avoided," said Suman...