Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Waking up from the deep slumber, the State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey today initiated the first step towards the implementation of recommendations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) by giving nod to the establishment of 4 Emergency Operation Centres in Jammu and Kashmir and released Rs 18 crore for purchase of equipment required for carrying out rescue operation during natural calamities and for post disaster relief and rehabilitation.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the State Executive Committee, which met at Civil Secretariat this afternoon, gave nod to the establishment of four Emergency Operation Centres—one each in Jammu, Srinagar, Leh and Kargil districts. While directing setting up of these Emergency Operation Centres by March 31, 2014, Chief Secretary sanctioned Rs 2 crore each for such centres in Jammu and Srinagar while as Rs one crore each for two districts of Ladakh region.
The Emergency Operation Centres in the remaining 18 districts of the State would be established during the next financial year in order to ensure prompt response during the disasters and post disaster relief and rehabilitation operation, sources informed, adding these centres would be directly under the control of concerned Deputy Commissioner.
In order to ensure better functioning of these Emergency Operation Centres, the State Executive Committee has issued directions for examining the functioning of such centres in the States of Gujarat and Assam, sources said, adding the functioning of Emergency Operation Centres in these two States is much better than such centres in other parts of the country.
Responding to a query, sources said that each of these Emergency Operation Centres would have round the clock helpline, relief material, tents, equipment required in the rescue and relief operation and medical kits. “Efforts are also on to provide one ambulance to each Emergency Operation Centre”, sources added.
They disclosed that State Executive Committee also released a total of Rs 18 crore for purchase of equipment for rescue and relief operation in the event of natural calamities. Of this amount, Rs 11 crore has been placed at the disposal of State Disaster Response Force, which is under the control and command of Director General Home Guards and Civil Defence, and an amount of Rs 7 crore has been given to Fire and Emergency Services Department for purchase of necessary equipment.
“These equipment would be kept at the Battalion Headquarters of the State Disaster Response Force at Jammu and Srinagar and would be kept at the Emergency Operation Centres as per their requirement”, sources informed and said that facilities for keeping these equipment State Disaster Response Force will create necessary infrastructure at both the places.
The State Executive Committee also approved enhancement in relief fund to be kept at the disposal of Financial Commissioner, Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners for meeting out relief expenditure to the tune of Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh respectively.
For immediate restoration of public infrastructure, the Deputy Commissioners will be responsible for sanctioning of works up to Rs 10 lakh, up to Rs 20 lakh by Divisional Commissioner and up to Rs 30 lakh by Financial Commissioner for each sector. Beyond Rs 30 lakh, the matter will be referred to the SEC.
The Committee also reviewed status of previous relief cases out of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for clearance of liabilities and gave nod to the release of funds on account of damage to property, crops and livestock caused due to hailstorm, flash floods, cloudburst and earthquake in various districts during last year.
Chief Secretary directed the concerned authorities to ensure that besides equipping response teams measures for capacity building for disaster management should also be undertaken on the lines recommended by the National Disaster Management Authority.
The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Arun Kumar, Principal Secretary Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary Home Suresh Kumar, Administrative Secretaries and other senior officers.
It is pertinent to mention here that EXCELSIOR in its edition dated January 17, 2014 had exclusively reported that Government was sleeping over the NDMA report on earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, the Government has woken up from the deep slumber and initiating first step towards giving practical shape to the recommendations of the NDMA.
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