Srinagar: As flood response efforts move from rescue to relief and rehabilitation, Jammu and Kashmir government today announced a Rs 200 crore assistance package, first instalment of Rs 75,000 to the homeless for rebuilding homes and Rs 3.5 lakh ex-gratia for the kin of the dead.
According to latest reports, more than 1,25,000 people were rescued from the worst-ever floods to hit the state in 109 years.
The relief package under which free rations will be also supplied for six months was unveiled by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as a shaken state government embarked on some decisive steps after coming under fire over the handling of the flood crisis.
The Supreme Court also stepped in asking the Centre to apprise it on Monday on the urgent steps undertaken to accelerate rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations, observing that “a calamity and disaster” as huge as the one witnessed in floods in J and K “deserves national response”.
As the flood waters receded in Srinagar and other towns in the Valley, civil and military rescue personnel were expediting efforts to reach out to tens of thousands of people still stranded since torrential rains pounded the state on September two.
Addressing a press conference at the airport, Omar said no estimate could be given on the exact death toll now because the situation was still fluid. However, as the magnitude of the disaster unfolded, officials yesterday said the death toll was around 250.
Omar also said he has called an All Party meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation.
“We will seek suggestions from other parties to improve the relief and rescue operations in the state,” he said, adding,” giving relief to people is an enormous challenge.”
Of the Rs 200 crore assistance announced from the state's distress relief fund, the Chief Minister said Rs 100 crore will be given to each of the two provinces—Jammu and Kashmir. “We want this to be paid in cash to the affected people like it was done during Uri earthquake in 2005 and Ladakh cloud burst,” he said.
Omar said an ex-gratia of Rs 3.5 lakh will be given to kin of those killed in the floods and financial assistance of Rs 75,000 as initial instalment for those who lost their homes for rebuilding them. The ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased will include Rs 2 lakh announced by the Prime Minister earlier.
He also said that 137 relief camps had been set up in the Valley where over one lakh people were being attended to. “Over 1,25,000 persons have been rescued so far by the Armed forces and NDRF from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the flood ravaged state,” a Defence Spokesman said in Jammu.
