Flood-hit getting additional aid under PM’s plan, says minister

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 25

The residents whose houses were damaged during the September 2014 floods are being provided additional financial assistance of Rs 1,194 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Plan (PMDP), which is over and above the relief provided to the victims under State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) norms and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

The authorities have earmarked Rs 800 crore under the PMDP for providing interest subvention assistance to flood-hit traders and businessmen of the region.

This was disclosed in the Legislative Assembly here today by Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Basharat Bukhari in a written reply to a query raised by National Conference MLA Abdul Rahim Rather and Usman Abdul Majeed.

“The Prime Minister announced a reconstruction plan amounting to Rs 80,068 crore for the state on November 7 last year. An amount of Rs 1,194 crore has been released under the PMDP-2015 for providing additional financial assistance to flood victims whose houses were damaged,” said the minister in the written reply.

“Of this amount, Rs 956.57 crore stands disbursed in favour of the flood-affected. This financial assistance is over and above the relief provided under SDRF norms and the PMNRF,” the minister added.

He stated that the government had provided relief to the tune of Rs 199.44 crore to flood victims in 20 districts, except Leh and Kargil, as admissible under SDRF norms, and an additional financial assistance of Rs 568.6 crore was provided to flood victims under the PMNRF.

Of Rs 199.44 crore under SDRF, flood victims in Srinagar had been provided Rs 91.2693 crore. An amount of Rs 278.39 crore had been provided to flood victims in Srinagar under the PMNRF while an additional Rs 468.16 crore had been disbursed among flood victims in the city under PMDP-2015.

The minister, in his written reply, further stated that Rs 86.52 crore had already been disbursed among uninsured flood-affected traders under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

“Under PMDP-2015, Rs 800 crore has been earmarked for providing interest subvention to flood-affected traders, self-employed and business establishments,” he said, adding that the process of providing interest subvention assistance was under way.