Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Oct 25: As a sequel to the decision of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for providing Special Assistance worth Rs 1000 crore to the flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Finance Ministry has provided the necessary clearances for the flow of these funds and the State Government has also received the formal communiqué from the concerned quarters.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR, “this Special Assistance is meant for putting back on rails the infrastructure of State and has to be utilised for the priority projects, which had suffered enormously due the natural calamity. These projects mainly belonged to Roads & Buildings, Power, PHE and Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the details stand submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office”.
“Officials, who were part of the Prime Minister’s entourage during his recent visit to the State on occasion of Diwali to Kashmir had also corroborated the fact that funds to the tune of Rs 1000 crore would be shortly transferred to the accounts of State Government and necessary clearances had been obtained from the Ministry of Finance”, sources asserted.
Top officials of the State Government, who were keeping a tab on the flow of funds from the Central Government, have also confessed that the funds would help to increase the pace of work on several infrastructure related projects. “The State Government has prioritised the details of projects in these department, which need immediate attention”, sources added.
“Presently, the State is uitlizing the funds from the account of State Disaster Relief Fund and Rs 314 crore each have been placed at the disposal of Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Kashmir respectively for providing temporary relief to the flood-affected areas”, sources stated.
The Special Assistance of Rs 1000 crore had been announced by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi after conducting an aerial survey of the flood-affected Jammu and Srinagar regions along with Army Chief, Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag of the overall situation on September 8.
Two days back, the Prime Minister has announced another package of Rs 745 crore for flood victims the State, when he arrived to spend Diwali with flood-hit people of Valley. While Rs 175 crore is for renovation of six major hospitals, additional Rs 570 crore is being provided for rebuilding damaged homes.
Sources said, “while discussing the nitty-gritty of the package, the officials accompanying the Prime Minister had expressed their desire that the affected persons be provided relief money directly into their accounts. However, the suggestion hasn’t found favour among the top officials of the State Government and they have opposed this methodology”, adding, “the State officials believe that the procedure would tantamount to interfering in the working of Coalition Government”.
Observers also opined, “thoughthe State Government had submitted a loss memo of Rs 44,000 crore to the Centre, there was little likelihood of Central Government sanctioning that amount before verifying the facts on ground”.
On October 20, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had deputed Home Secretary, Anil Goswami to the State for detailed discussions of Rs 44,000 crore worth flood loss memo submitted by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Two high level Central teams headed by Joint Secretary Home, M Gopal Reddy had sought sector wise complete details of the losses projected by the Government within the shortest possible time.
Earlier, on October 18, a Central team toured twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and village Saddal in Pancheri area of Udhampur district, which was flattened by fall of mountain killing 41 villagers. The second Central team also visited Bandipora district in Kashmir to assess damages caused by devastating floods in first week of September.
The two teams-one each for Jammu and Kashmir regions comprising top officers of different Union Ministries have been sent by Union Home Minister for independent investigation of losses caused by the worst ever floods and rains in first week of September in terms of Government infrastructure, private property and loss of lives etc.
The Committees comprised top ranking officers of Ministries of Home, Animal Husbandry, Health, Finance, Rural Development, Agriculture and Road and Surface Transport. All these sectors have been badly affected by the floods. There will be two top officers of these Ministries in the Committee-one each in separate Panel constituted for Jammu and Kashmir region.
It may be mentioned that the Government of India had decided to undertake an extensive study of devastation caused by last month’s floods through its own two high level teams.
The Centre decided to carry out its own assessment of damages caused to public property and Government infrastructure after a memo submitted to the Centre by the State Government seeking an unprecedented Rs 44,000 crores worth package for relief and rehabilitation measures for flood victims and infrastructure.
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