SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has directed departments to accelerate the formulation and execution of projects under the Rs 1,579.09-crore disaster recovery package approved for Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that reconstructed infrastructure must be made resilient to future disasters.
Dulloo issued the directions while reviewing the implementation of the Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) Plan-2025 and utilisation of disaster recovery assistance sanctioned by the Centre.
The package, approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the NDRF/SDRF R&R funding window, includes Rs 1,534.58 crore for damages caused by floods, cloudbursts, landslides and other disasters. Another Rs 44.52 crore has been earmarked for the dedicated recovery plan for Ramban district following the cloudburst and flash floods of April 2025.
During the review, it was informed that departments have so far prepared costed action plans worth Rs 1,225.78 crore, leaving Rs 353.31 crore to be operationalised by the Jal Shakti and Agriculture sectors.
The Chief Secretary directed executing agencies to follow the ‘Build Back Better’ approach, saying disaster recovery should go beyond restoring damaged infrastructure to its pre-disaster condition.
He also called for cross-verification of beneficiary lists and project proposals with major ongoing schemes, including PMAY-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT, SASCI, NABARD, PMGSY and Samagra Shiksha, to prevent duplication and ensure optimal utilisation of public funds.
Dulloo directed departments to incorporate disaster-resilient features in reconstructed assets, including compliance with Seismic Zone IV/V requirements, elevated plinths and slope stabilisation measures wherever required.
He further asked officials to make optimal use of both norm-based and flexible assistance available under the approved recovery framework to meet additional resilience requirements.
All projects, he directed, should be geo-tagged and uploaded on the BEAMS digital platform to create a unified record for monitoring physical progress, financial utilisation and outcomes.
During the sector-wise review, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRR&R), Chandraker Bharti, informed the meeting that considerable progress had been made in several components of the programme.
In the social sector, against an approved allocation of Rs 289.40 crore, departments have formulated plans worth Rs 262.11 crore.
The housing component has achieved 100 per cent commitment against its Rs 193.19-crore allocation, covering 9,083 households, including 5,227 fully damaged and 3,856 severely damaged houses.
The Roads and Bridges component has also achieved full planning of its Rs 461.64-crore allocation for restoration of around 1,230.7 km of roads and 4,494.5 metres of bridges.
In the power sector, Rs 70.08 crore has been planned against an allocation of Rs 72.97 crore. The works include restoration of more than 21,000 poles, 1,100 circuit kilometres of conductors and 800 transformers, benefiting around 1.45 lakh consumers.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation sector has formulated plans worth Rs 59.02 crore against Rs 139.65 crore, while Irrigation and Flood Control has planned Rs 93.01 crore against Rs 199.79 crore and is in the process of utilising the remaining funds.
In the productive sectors, Agriculture has formulated plans worth Rs 168.36 crore against Rs 223.67 crore, covering 45 packages related to crop inputs, land reclamation and restoration of research infrastructure at SKUAST-Jammu.
Animal Husbandry and Livestock has planned Rs 8.86 crore against Rs 10.28 crore, while Horticulture has fully utilised its Rs 3.87-crore allocation to support 3,493 farmers.
The meeting also reviewed the dedicated Rs 44.52-crore Ramban recovery plan prepared following the cloudburst and flash floods of April 19-20, 2025. The plan includes Rs 23.24 crore for Roads and Bridges, Rs 3.34 crore for Irrigation and Flood Control, Rs 1.78 crore for Education and Rs 1.48 crore for Animal Husbandry and Livestock.
Dulloo directed that household relief under the recovery programme be disbursed strictly according to the 30:40:30 progress-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) pattern, ensuring that payments correspond with actual reconstruction progress.
He also directed block, sub-divisional and district-level nodal officers to resolve E-Samadhan and CPGRAMS grievances within 15 days, making grievance redressal an integral part of the recovery monitoring mechanism.
The Chief Secretary said the recovery programme should ensure not only timely restoration of damaged assets but also create a more resilient and disaster-ready Jammu and Kashmir, with sanctioned funds translating into durable infrastructure and relief for affected communities.
