HM reaches Jammu, will chair meeting, conduct aerial survey today
*HS, DIB, DG BSF, NHAI, IMD officials, top brass too arrive
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 31: Union Home Minister Amit Shah tonight reached Jammu for assessment of flood-related situation including extensive damage caused to Government infrastructure and civilian property. Before his arrival here, Shah announced constitution of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) for Jammu and Kashmir and States including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab for assessment of damages caused by rains, floods, cloudbursts and landslides.
Shah landed here at 9.35 PM and was received by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior officials of civil and police administration and top BJP leaders. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director Intelligence Bureau (IB) Tapan Deka, DG BSF Daljit Singh Chawdhary, senior officers of NHAI, IMD and many other security agencies have also reached here.
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The Home Minister will chair high-level meeting with the senior officers at Raj Bhawan here at 11.30 am tomorrow to assess damages caused by floods and landslides to Government infrastructure and civilian property.
He will conduct aerial survey of various places including Katra and Kishtwar where people including pilgrims lost their lives and infrastructure was damaged following floods triggered by cloudbursts. He is also scheduled to review damage caused to fencing and border posts along the International Border with Pakistan.
An official statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ahead of Shah’s Jammu visit announced constitution of IMCTs, each for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab which will assess damage caused by heavy rainfall, flash floods, cloudburst and landslides.
The MHA is in touch with senior officers of these States/UT, and has extended all necessary logistic assistance by deployment of requisite number of teams of NDRF, Army and Air force helicopters, who are helping them in search & rescue and restoration of essential services, the statement said.
It added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the States affected by natural calamities in mitigating hardships faced by the people.
The IMCTs would make on-the-spot assessment of the situation and relief works carried out by the State/UT Governments, it said.
“The Central Teams will visit the flood/ landslide-affected districts of J&K and three States, which have been severely affected by heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and incidents of flash flood, cloudburst and landslides, during the current monsoon season, early next week,” the statement said.
The Central teams will be led by a senior officer of the level of Joint Secretary in MHA/ NDMA and will have senior officers from the Ministries/ Departments of Expenditure, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Jal Shakti, Power, Road Transport & Highways and Rural Development.
As per the decision taken by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in August 2019, the MHA constitutes IMCTs immediately in the aftermath of a severe disaster for on-spot assessment of the damage, without waiting for their memorandum. After the assessment of damage is done by the IMCT, the Central Government provides additional financial assistance to State from NDRF, as per the established procedure, the statement said.
During the financial year 2025-26, it added, the Central Government has released Rs. 10,498.80 crore to 24 States in SDRF, so as to enable the disaster affected States to provide relief assistance to the affected people immediately and Rs. 1988.91crore from NDRF to 12 States, Rs. 3274.90 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 20 States and Rs. 372.09 crore from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to nine States.
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