‘Be fully prepared to face winter challenge’
Asks for preparing special girdawari for hailstorm affected areas
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday asked the State Administration to have immediate measures of procuring prefabricated structures to face the winter challenge on account of housing the needy who have been rendered houseless by the devastating flood and have no alternate accommodation. “Let it be 500 prefab structures in first phase”, he said adding that these can be installed at various places to provide shelter to houseless families of flood affected areas.
“You should take a call on this aspect right now and move forward urgently to procure prefab structures”, the Chief Minister told the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir while taking brief from various departments regarding the progress on rehabilitation of flood-hit families, at a high level meeting here this morning.
The Chief Minister said that all arrangements should be finalized to meet the challenges on account of providing temporary shelters and warm clothing to the affected families residing in tents and other temporary camps. He also directed the Housing Department to provide permissions speedily to the affected people whose houses have collapsed and want to reconstruct these. “The process of granting of permission should be hassle-free and smooth”, he told the concerned authorities.
The meeting was told that under the directions of the Chief Minister Housing Department has earmarked 40 kanals of land for relocation of families residing in Chounti Kul Srinagar. The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar was asked to take urgent action in this regard.
The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar said that the interim relief of compensation to the families whose houses have collapsed fully will be disbursed by Monday. He said tents to the affected families residing on foreshore road for their relocation have already been despatched.
The Divisional Commissioner informed the meeting that Rs. 15 crores interim relief has been distributed so far to the families whose houses have totally been damaged and the process is on full swing. The Chief Minister told him to provide the number of structures and the total amount of interim relief distributed to affected families on alternate basis in the meetings.
Omar Abdullah also stressed on completing the task of finalizing the list of the affected people whose 50 percent crops have damaged or failed by the floods. It was stated that the list will be finalized by Monday.
The Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister to take up the issue of billing and restoring the cell phone services with the BSNL and other Telecom Companies. “I myself will write to Union Telecommunication Minister in this regard”, he added.
The Chief Minister while taking brief on the power supply situation directed the Principal Secretary PDD to take considered view while preparing bills for the families whose houses remained inundated and power supply disconnected. “You cannot bill the people for the period they were inundated”, he said and told the Power Development Department to keep this in mind and take a considered view.
The Chief Minister referring to his yesterday visit to Jammu said that hailstorm and winds have caused huge damage to crops in various areas and people have demanded special girdawaries in the hailstorm-hit areas. He asked the Revenue Department to prepare special girdawaries for these areas.
Omar Abdullah received brief on garbage disposal from the Srinagar city and directed for intensifying disinfection campaign. It was stated that about 1800 tonnes of garbage and silt has been removed from Srinagar on Thursday. It was also stated that no outbreak of any water-borne disease has been reported and no death has taken place anywhere on this count.
The Chief Minister asked the Flood Control Department to restore the drugging operation in River Jehlum. It was stated that 4 lakh cubic meters of material was removed under the drugging operation launched in River Jehlum for couple of years which helped greatly to protect the towns of Baramulla and Sopore from floods.
The meeting was attended by various Ministers, the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Administrative Secretaries, various Chief Engineers, Heads of the Departments and senior officers.
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