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Restoration of cloudburst, flash flood affected infra underway: J&K govt in House

Replying on behalf of chief minister Omar Abdullah to a question by MLA Shakti Raj Parihar, Choudhary said roads and water supply schemes affected in 2025-26 have been temporarily restored, while permanent restoration is under process

Published on: Sep 26, 2026, 07:58:00 IST
By , Srinagar
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Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday told the House that restoration of infrastructure damaged by flash floods and cloudbursts is underway across J&K.

Health and medical education minister Sakeena Itoo informed the House that 75% physical progress has been achieved on the 50-bed hospital block at Pahalgam. (HT Photo for representation)
Health and medical education minister Sakeena Itoo informed the House that 75% physical progress has been achieved on the 50-bed hospital block at Pahalgam. (HT Photo for representation)

Replying on behalf of chief minister Omar Abdullah to a question by MLA Shakti Raj Parihar, Choudhary said roads and water supply schemes affected in 2025-26 have been temporarily restored, while permanent restoration is under process. For damages in 2026-27, partial restoration has been done and permanent works have been taken up in all affected districts.

He said financial assistance as per (SDRF) norms is being provided to affected persons and no separate special relief package has been sanctioned for rehabilitation.

However, additional assistance has been extended under the CM’s relief fund to families whose houses were damaged. In Kishtwar’s Chishoti cloudburst incident in 2025-26, ₹1 lakh each was given to 16 families whose houses were damaged and ₹25,000 each to three families with partially damaged houses.

For 2026-27, ₹108 lakh has been released under CM’s relief fund in Poonch for 87 beneficiaries and ₹281 lakh in Rajouri for 377 beneficiaries whose structures were damaged.

75% work completed on 50-bed Pahalgam hospital: Itoo

Health and medical education minister Sakeena Itoo informed the House that 75% physical progress has been achieved on the 50-bed hospital block at Pahalgam.

Replying to MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Wani, she said administrative approval of ₹19.90 crore was accorded in March 2020. Against it, ₹16.75 crore has been released and ₹10.53 crore spent till March 31, 2026, with another ₹33.31 lakh spent in the current financial year.

DG set has been commissioned, laundry system, CSSD and STP have been installed and are at commissioning stage, while lift installation is underway.

She said delay was caused as an additional basement became necessary due to topography, increasing built-up area and cost, besides post-Covid escalation in equipment cost. The process for revised administrative approval has been initiated after receipt of revised DPR.

On upgradation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) at Pahalgam, Sallar and Aishmuqam to sub-district hospitals, she said there is no such proposal as focus is on consolidation of existing facilities. As per IPHS-2022 norms, J&K already has more SDHs than admissibility, she said.

14 projects worth ₹24 crore under execution in Baramulla

Replying on behalf of the CM to a question by MLA Javid Hassan Baig, Sakeena Itoo said 14 developmental works worth ₹24.62 crore are under execution in Baramulla town.

Against ₹2,462.67 lakh project cost, ₹445.24 lakh was spent till March 2026. Of 14 works, three have been completed.

On multi-level car parking near R&B Office, she said administrative approval was given in October 2025 but work was delayed due to non-transfer of PWD land to municipal council Baramulla, valuation of poplar trees by forest department and disposal of an old building at site. Formalities are under process, she said.

‘Govt intensifies agriculture interventions in Lolab’

Agriculture production minister Javid Ahmad Dar told the House that the government is implementing comprehensive schemes to strengthen agriculture in the Lolab constituency of Kupwara.

Replying to MLA Qaysar Jamshaid Lone, Dar said Lolab has agriculture and horticulture spread over 9,134 hectares, of which 47% is irrigated and 53% unirrigated.

He said under HADP, 4,226 units with ₹269.88 lakh assistance have been established till August 2026, with 28 functional Kisan Khidmat Ghars and 28 Krishi Udyamis. Under JKCIP, 127 units were set up in Sogam in 2025-26 with ₹15.75 lakh assistance, ₹33.62 lakh was given to 1,867 beneficiaries under PM-KISAN and ₹37.44 lakh to 422 beneficiaries under CSS.

The government intends to strengthen irrigation, water harvesting, storage and post-harvest facilities through convergence of schemes, he said.

‘Manpower position in healthcare being monitored’

Sakeena Itoo said shortage of medical and paramedical staff exists in certain institutions varying as per sanctioned strength and vacancies. Replying to MLA Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar, she said the department is monitoring manpower and rationally deploying staff as per patient load and requirements. Shortages are being supplemented through NHM engagement.

Health services in Srinagar and at SKIMS are running smoothly with optimum utilisation of available manpower, she said, adding vacancies are being addressed through recruitment.