SRINAGAR: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday visited the flood-affected border village of Badyal Brahmana in R S Pura, where he assured full Central support to Jammu and Kashmir in dealing with the aftermath of the recent floods.
Accompanied by senior officials, Chouhan first inspected the fields to assess the damage to standing crops before addressing a large gathering of farmers and flood victims. He said the Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stood firmly with the people of JK in this crisis and that relief would be expedited once the UT government’s formal assessment of damages was received. Teams from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Jal Shakti, Rural Development and Agriculture have already conducted surveys in affected areas, he added.
Later, chairing a review meeting in Jammu, Chouhan announced several relief measures. He said an instalment under PM-Kisan would be released immediately for flood-affected farmers. To provide wage support, he announced an increase of 50 additional man-days under MGNREGA, raising the entitlement from 100 to 150 days for workers in flood-hit regions.
The minister also announced compensation for farmers who lost domestic animals in the floods and said about 5,000 damaged houses in the UT would be rebuilt with Central assistance. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Rs 1.3 lakh would be sanctioned per house, along with provision for toilets.
Recognising the impact on Self Help Groups, Chouhan announced Rs 76 crore for their rehabilitation. He also suggested that farmers be allowed to use sand deposits left in their fields by floodwaters, urging the JK Mining Department to relax rules in their favour.
Chouhan underlined that JK has Rs 2,499 crore available for disaster management, which would be used for flood relief. He assured that if additional funds were needed, the Centre would extend further support. The minister said renovation of damaged canals and embankments would also be taken up with Central assistance.
“The government will leave no stone unturned in helping the people of Jammu and Kashmir rebuild their lives,” Chouhan said, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to comprehensive relief and rehabilitation.
