PM announces Rs.1, 000 crore aid for flood-hit Kashmir

Jammu, Sep 7:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced a special assistance of Rs.1,000 crore for flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir besides a Rs.2 lakh compensation from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the kin of each dead and Rs.50,000 each for the seriously injured.

Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of the flood-affected Jammu and Srinagar regions, said the current crisis was a “national level disaster”.

Modi said the army, air force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were cooperating with the state to expedite relief work.

He said medical and other assistance would be provided on an urgent basis.

“We are ensuring that the state receives fast medical services. We are dispatching medicines to Jammu and Kashmir,” Modi said.

“We are getting boats from Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is a sunny day today, so we hope that helicopters would be able to operate faster.”

In view of damage to houses, Modi said efforts were on to arrange tents.

“Many houses have been destroyed. We are speeding work to provide 5,000 tents in flood-hit areas,” he said.

Modi said the government was prepared to provide relief to people as the weather becomes colder.

“We will be providing one lakh blankets to the state as the temperature is dipping fast,” he said.

The government has directed officials to repair roads leading to Leh and Ladakh so that food and other livelihood supplies could be sent before the state gets cut off at the onset of winter.

“During winters, Leh and Ladakh get disconnected from the rest of the country. This is the time we usually send all necessary stock to the state but the roads leading to Leh and Ladakh have suffered damages. It is a big challenge for us. I have instructed that the roads be repaired fast so that food and other supplies reach there on time,” Modi said.

He assured the people of Kashmir that they were not alone in this crisis.

“I would like to assure the people of the state that it is not their crisis alone. It is a crisis for the whole country,” Modi said.

The prime minister also offered to extend all possible help to the flood-affected people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“India will never hesitate from doing work of humanity,” Modi said, and also appealed to all states to provide assistance to Jammu and Kashmir.

Over 100 people have died in the floods following incessant rainfall.

Modi arrived at the Jammu airport earlier Sunday to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas of the state. The prime minister was accompanied by army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on the aerial survey.

Modi was received at Jammu airport by Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

 

(IANS)