SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that relief provided to fire victims is governed by centrally notified norms, and any revision in compensation falls within the domain of the Government of India.
The information was placed before the House in response to a starred question raised by MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar regarding fire incidents and adequacy of relief in view of rising construction costs.
In a written reply, the Minister in-charge of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department said that a total of 1,876 fire incidents have been reported across the Union Territory over the past three years.
The government stated that an amount of Rs 1,799.09 lakh has been disbursed as relief to victims whose houses and properties were completely destroyed in these incidents, in accordance with prescribed norms.
Addressing concerns about adequacy of compensation, the reply said that relief assistance to victims of notified natural calamities, including fire incidents, is provided under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) as per notified items and norms for the period 2022–23 to 2025–26. “These norms are uniform across the country and any revision is within the domain of the Government of India,” the reply said.
Supplementing the response, the government outlined that the SDRF guidelines cover 12 notified disasters including cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves, making losses from these calamities eligible for relief assistance.
It further informed that the Union Territory has also notified a set of state-specific disasters vide a notification dated January 15, 2025. These include Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), lightning and thunderstorms, heavy snowfall as notified by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), man-wild animal conflict in cases involving death or more than 50 percent disability, and boat capsize incidents.
Detailing the existing compensation structure, the government said that under revised norms issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2023, ex-gratia relief of Rs 4 lakh is provided to families of deceased persons. Compensation for disability ranges from Rs 74,000 for 40–60 percent disability to Rs 2.5 lakh for disability exceeding 60 percent.
For injuries, Rs 16,000 is provided in cases requiring hospitalization of more than a week, and Rs 5,400 for hospitalization of less than a week.
In cases of fully damaged houses, assistance ranges from Rs 1.20 lakh per house in plain areas to Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly areas. For partially damaged structures, assistance of Rs 6,500 is provided for pucca houses and Rs 4,000 for kutcha houses, while Rs 8,000 is earmarked for damaged huts. Additional assistance includes Rs 3,000 for cattle sheds attached to houses and Rs 2,500 each for loss of clothing and household goods.
For agriculture losses, compensation ranges from Rs 8,500 per hectare in rain-fed areas to Rs 17,000 per hectare in irrigated areas, subject to minimum assistance of Rs 1,000 per farmer.
Livestock losses are also covered, with Rs 37,500 provided for large animals such as buffalo, cow, camel and yak, Rs 4,000 for sheep, goat or pig, and up to Rs 10,000 per household for poultry losses.
The government reiterated that while these norms define the relief framework, any enhancement in compensation in view of rising costs can only be undertaken by the Centre.
