PM Narendra Modi may set up committee to oversee reconstruction efforts in J&K

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi may consider setting up an experts committee to oversee reconstruction efforts in Jammu and Kashmir, which faces a winter freeze after devastating floods.
Elections are due later this year in the state, where hundreds of people died in the September floods after the Jhelum rose due to excessive rains. The panel of experts is expected to oversee rehabilitation work till a new government is in place.

“The prime minister was very positive and he assured us that an expert committee will be set up to oversee the reconstruction process,” said Altaf Bukhari, a member of the PDP delegation that met Modi. “He patiently heard every suggestion we made.”

According to the PDP worker, the party suggested that a committee comprising town planners, structural and civil engineers, hydrologists, geologists, flood control experts and economists—be set up to oversee rehabilitation and reconstruction work.

The PDP is also seeking inclusion of Srinagar in the Rs 7,000-crore Smart Cities project, which is part of the current budget. This, the delegation said, would reduce the requirement for identifying resources as the budget would have taken care of it.

The party has been seeking classifying all bank lending in J&K, especially those to traders, small businesses and horticulturists, as priority sector lending and placing debt waiver and write-offs of the banks for the flood victims under CSR expenditure.

The ruling NC has sought immediate approval for a Rs 33,995-crore package for the state, a decade-long tax holiday, re-engaging 8,000 volunteers, tourism promotion grants, funds for reviving livelihoods and construction of community bunkers for the people living near the LoC and international border. It has suggested a special recruitment drive in army and other central paramilitary forces.

“Prime Minister was receptive to what we said,” industrialist and social activist Shakeel Qalander said. “I told the Prime Minister clearly that there is anger on the ground because the relief measures were delayed and people who somehow came out of the marooned areas were given phone bills and income tax notices.”

Qalander said his group requested the PM to facilitate low-cost debt from the World Bank and the ADB, so that Kashmir can be rebuilt faster.

However, officials accompanying Modi said that against an availability of Rs 1,050 crore in the SDRF, actual expenditure is less than half and barely Rs 100 crore has so far been released for affected lot.

Central government officials said the memorandum submitted by the state government remained untouched for lack of a loss survey, which is still not ready. The Prime Minister, however, told his officials that it should be examined “quickly with due sensitivity” once they receive the detailed assessment from the state government.

Almost seven weeks after the historic deluge, the J&K government has access to a cumulative corpus of Rs 2,795 crore. Apart from Rs 1,050 crore that was already with the state, the PM had granted Rs 1,000 crore (expected to be converted into Special Plan Assistance) and a fresh Rs 745 crore from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.