E-Paper
Chief secretary directs faster execution of ₹1.5k-crore disaster recovery plan in J&K
Departments have so far prepared cost action plans worth ₹1,225.78 crore, with a balance of ₹353.31 crore to be operationalised by Jal Shakti and agriculture
Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary Atal Dulloo reviewed the implementation of the Recovery & Reconstruction (R&R) Plan–2025 and utilisation of ₹1,579.09 crore disaster recovery assistance sanctioned for J&K by the government of India.
Dulloo directed departments to accelerate project formulation and execution, ensuring every reconstructed asset is made more resilient to future disasters.
Dulloo took stock of the package approved by NDMA under the NDRF/SDRF R&R funding window. It includes ₹1,534.58 crore for damages caused by floods, cloudbursts and landslides, and ₹44.52 crore for a dedicated Ramban district recovery plan after the April 2025 cloudburst and flash floods.
Departments have so far prepared cost action plans worth ₹1,225.78 crore, with a balance of ₹353.31 crore to be operationalised by Jal Shakti and agriculture.
Emphasising the ‘build back better’ approach, the chief secretary directed that infrastructure should not merely be restored to pre-disaster levels. He called for strict cross-verification of beneficiary lists and project proposals with schemes like PMAY-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT, SASCI, NABARD, PMGSY and Samagra Shiksha to avoid duplication.
He instructed that reconstructed assets incorporate disaster-resilient features, including compliance with Seismic Zone IV/V norms, elevated plinths and slope stabilisation. All projects are to be geo-tagged and uploaded on the BEAMS digital platform for unified monitoring.
Giving a sector-wise update, principal secretary DMRR&R Chandraker Bharti said the social sector has plans worth ₹262.11 crore against an allocation of ₹289.40 crore. In housing, 100% of the ₹193.19 crore allocation has been committed for 9,083 households, including 5,227 fully and 3,856 severely damaged houses.
Roads and bridges is the strongest segment, with the full ₹461.64 crore planned for restoration of 1,230.7 km of roads and 4,494.5 metres of bridges. The power sector has planned ₹70.08 crore against ₹72.97 crore for restoration of 21,000 poles, 1,100 circuit km of conductors and 800 transformers, benefiting 1.45 lakh consumers.
Drinking water and sanitation has plans for ₹59.02 crore against ₹139.65 crore. Irrigation and flood control has planned ₹93.01 crore against ₹199.79 crore. In agriculture, plans worth ₹168.36 crore have been made against ₹223.67 crore, covering 45 packages. Animal husbandry has planned ₹8.86 crore against ₹10.28 crore, while horticulture has fully utilised its ₹3.87 crore allocation for 3,493 farmers.
The chief secretary also reviewed the ₹44.52 crore Ramban plan, which includes ₹23.24 crore for roads and bridges and ₹3.34 crore for irrigation. Dulloo directed that household relief be disbursed through a 30:40:30 progress-linked DBT pattern. He also asked nodal officers to resolve E-Samadhan and CPGRAMS grievances within 15 days.
He said the recovery programme must deliver not just restoration, but a more disaster-resilient J&K, with every sanctioned rupee translating into durable infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by ACS finance, ACS PWD, principal secretary DMRR&R, director CD & SDRF, administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, and other senior officers. Deputy commissioners from all 20 districts joined virtually.
