Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 2: After Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s extensive tour of flood-affected areas in Jammu, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is likely to unveil a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package for families devastated by the recent floods and landslides. According to highly placed sources, the Union Government is holding consultations with multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Union Territory administration, before finalising the package. The proposed relief plan is expected to go beyond immediate assistance and focus on long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
Shah, who personally reviewed the situation on the ground during his visit earlier on Monday, met victims, assessed the damage to infrastructure, and assured people that the Centre would extend full support to Jammu and Kashmir in overcoming the crisis. His tour, which covered several badly-hit districts, is being seen as a precursor to the Centre’s formal announcement.
Officials indicated that the relief package is likely to cover compensation for loss of life and property: Families who lost members or suffered damage to their houses may receive direct financial assistance.
The Union Government is likely to support special aid for those whose agricultural fields, crops, and livestock were washed away.
The package is likely to include repair and reconstruction of damaged roads, bridges, culverts, irrigation canals, and public utilities. Fu thermore, steps are likely to be announced to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases in areas where waterlogging continues.
Financial schemes to support small traders, daily wagers, and artisans who lost their sources of income.
The devastating floods, triggered by incessant rains in August, have claimed nearly 150 lives across Jammu and Kashmir, including over 130 pilgrims of Vaishno Devi and Machail Mata shrines. Dozens of villages remain cut off due to damaged roads and washed-away bridges, while thousands of houses and shops have suffered partial or complete damage. In agricultural belts, standing crops of maize, paddy, and vegetables were destroyed, adding to the distress of farming families.
Sources said Shah’s visit paved the way for closer coordination between the Centre, security agencies, and the J&K administration for relief and rehabilitation. Senior officials are also examining reports of lapses in flood management, particularly the failure to carry out desilting of rivers and canals, which many believe worsened the flooding in low-lying areas.
While the exact contours of the package are still being worked out, officials confirmed that the announcement could come within days. “The Union Government is committed to ensuring that no affected family is left behind. Relief and rehabilitation will be given top priority,” a senior government functionary said.
The package, once rolled out, is expected to provide a much-needed lifeline to thousands of affected families and restore confidence among communities battered by nature’s fury. |
