The Jammu and Kashmir administration has begun the process of allotting the construction of over 5,000 houses to families whose homes were damaged due to flash floods, heavy rains, and cloudbursts.
The process began after the administration received permission to go ahead from the Union government to build the houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Officials said they are expecting the sanction of the houses in ten days.
Beneficiaries will get Rs 50,000 in the first instalment, Rs 70,000 in the second instalment and Rs 10,000 in the third and final instalment, they said. Besides, there is a provision of Rs 12,000 under the household washrooms and Rs 20,000 under MGNREGA, taking the total amount for every beneficiary to Rs 1.60 lakh.
While the majority of the houses are in the Jammu division, a few more are also located in the Kashmir Valley. The total number of damaged houses is 5061, the officials said.
Besides the damage to residential structures, more than 3237 kilometres of roads and 70 bridges were very badly damaged in the floods.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir is due, possibly this month. The UT administration is expecting a comprehensive package for the reconstruction of the damaged public and private infrastructure.
The government of India has announced massive relief packages for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand – even more than that, as casualties and damages in Jammu appeared to be more than the three States, the officials said.
Nearly 100 people, mostly pilgrims of the Shri Machail Mata Ji shrine, were killed or went missing at Chositi in a flash flood in Kishtwar district on August 14.
Thirty-four pilgrims of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine were killed in landslides at Adhkuwari on August 26, leading to the suspension of the pilgrimage for many days.
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