Flood victims to get free ration for six months: Omar

Mangalore Today News Network

Srinagar, Sep 13, 2014, PTI:  After being initially numbed by the devastating floods, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday announced financial assistance of Rs 100 crore each to the Jammu region and Kashmir Valley while promising supply of free ration and other assistance to people hit by the disaster.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said free ration, including 50 kg rice, will be supplied to the victims for six months. “I have asked authorities not to insist on documents (to avail aid),” he added.

Omar, who is operating from  a makeshift office with the main secretariat building under water, told a press conference at Srinagar airport that he had sent a team of six senior ministers led by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers about the situation in the state.

He announced an ex gratia of Rs 3.5 lakh to the kin of those killed in the floods and financial assistance of Rs 75,000 as initial instalment for those who lost their homes. The ex gratia for the kin of the deceased will include Rs 2 lakh announced by the prime minister earlier.

“There should be not much of government role. Let people build their homes themselves,” he said and announced that cement and timber can be arranged from government depots and steel can be provided by the SAIL.

He said 137 relief camps have been set up in the Valley in which more than one lakh people were being attended to.

An all-party meeting has been called by the chief minister on Saturday to discuss the situation. “We will seek suggestions from other parties to improve the relief and rescue operations,” he said.

Omar suggested that the relief should be paid in cash as was done in the case of affected people in the Uri earthquake.