Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 19: Two high level Central teams deputed by the Government of India for assessment of flood losses in Jammu and Kashmir regions separately today completed their task and returned to New Delhi after a meeting with top brass of civil and police administration in Srinagar.
On third and last day of their visit, the team deputed to Jammu visited Reasi district while the team sent to Kashmir had a tour of Srinagar district followed by the high level meeting.
During their three days extensive tour, both the teams visited several flood affected areas of their respective regions in Jammu and Kashmir, inter-acted with the Deputy Commissioners and some flood hit people apart from other stakeholders to ascertain exact quantum of damage in terms of Government infrastructure, private property and loss of human lives in worst ever floods in the State in first week of September.
The State has asked for Rs 44,000 crores worth special Central package to rebuild the damage infrastructure.
Sources said the Central team headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) M Gopal Reddy and other team members had an extensive meeting with Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, DGP K Rajendra Kumar, Finance Commissioner, Planning and Development Department BR Sharma, Administrative Secretaries of Finance, PWD, PHE, Agriculture, Revenue and Horticulture etc and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Rohit Kansal.
The team reviewed relief and rehabilitation measures in flood-hit State with top officials of the administration including total losses projected by the Government in the State to Government and private infrastructure.
Sources said the State administration gave detailed presentation to the Central team on the losses suffered during the floods and sought liberal help from the Central Government to compensate them.
Sector wise assessment of losses and the steps taken by the State Government to provide relief to the flood-hit people and status of restoration work carried out was given in the meeting, sources said.
“Discussion was also held on the memorandum submitted to the Union Government for financial aid to the tune of Rs 44,000 crore,” they said.
The Chief Secretary thanked the team for their “considerate view” on the losses suffered by the State, saying the Government and people of the State have hopes that the Centre will offer full assistance to the affected people.
Reddy said he will be submitting report to the Union Government at the earliest.
Earlier in the day, the Central team visited various flood-affected areas in Reasi district.
The visited worst affected Dera Bawa and Chassana villages of the district to review post flood situation, relief and rehabilitation measures.
At least 20 persons had lost their lives in the September flash floods and landslides in Dera Bawa and Chassana villages of the district.
The Central team comprising Director Monitoring in Central Water Commission, Vivek Tripathi, Superintending Engineer in the Commission, Aditya Prakash, Director, Central Electricity Board, Ministry of Power AK Rajput, and Under Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Prakash Bhardwaj, visited several areas of Reasi.
The Government of India team took a thorough review of the measures taken by the district administration to provide relief and rehabilitate the people in flood and landslide hit areas.
The Central team also had on spot assessment of the damages caused at Dera Bawa and Chassana villages. The team members interacted with the local people and district administration to know about the relief and rehabilitation measures taken for the affected families.
The Central team spent an hour was at village Seri of Dera Bawa and inquired from the people and officers about the tragic incident in which 20 villagers had lost their lives. The teams sought the suggestions from the locals about the ways in which the Government could compensate the survivors.
At Dera Bawa, the district administration also briefed the Central team about the scale of damages in the flash floods before it (the team) flew to Chassana (Mahore).
At Chassana also, the Central team raised sought detailed information pertaining to assessment of damages, relief and rehabilitation, about which it was briefed by the DC.
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