Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 9: Finance Minister, Haseeb Drabu today said the State Government is working on a flood relief and rehabilitation package with the Centre and is expecting it soon.
Drabu said the package is not event but a process: “We are working on it. It would be a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction program which will run for 8 to 10 years involving both private and public infrastructure.”
Responding to a question raised by NC MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar during Zero Hour in the Assembly regarding flood relief package, the Minister said the proposed package sought by previous Government was only for “revenue loss” by Government and not for the entire flood victims.
“The package submitted by the previous Government had asked for Rs 21000 crore only for Government losses. We have been working on the package afresh for last six months and re-designing it. It won’t be restricted just to cash transfer but would be a sustainable process,” said Drabu.
“In the previous package, there was no rehabilitation of traders, farmers and other sections of the society who were hit by floods. The package designed by our Government would give impetus for overall economic revival of the State. Its segments include different sectors including public, private and social infrastructures,” Drabu said.
Minister said that the Government has already released the relief funds which came through NDRF and SDRF. “Flood victims have been transferred cash for reconstruction of houses while some of them are yet to receive it. The package will have something for them as well,” he added.
Drabu said that although the NC-Congress Government had submitted Rs 44, 000 crore loss-memo to Centre but after the World Bank’s assessment, it was reduced to around Rs 22, 000 crore and when Niti Ayog made its calculations, it was reduced to Rs 11,000 crore.” “The previous Government didn’t react then and kept mum on the matter,” he said.
The Minister said the State Government has formulated a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package involving housing, trade, horticulture and agriculture sectors. He stated that the proposed relief package involves rebuilding of public and private infrastructure damaged during September 2014 floods.
Sagar while reacting to the Drabu said that the previous Government decided the package in the Cabinet and followed it. “We went to Prime Minister to follow it”, he said.
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