Governor sets two deadlines for flood relief distribution

Governor Narendra Nath Vohra has set two deadlines for the distribution of relief for the flood-affected families.
According to sources, the Governor has set a deadline of January 24 for the State administration to clear all compensation for the flood victims under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released Rs 1100 crore.
The sources said Vohra told the State administration to give this amount to the people whose houses were completely and partially damaged in floods and pay the rent amount to the flood-hit people.
They said that the Governor told the administration to provide the direct Government of Indian compensation of Rs 1 lakh relief to the people whose pucca houses were damaged in floods and Rs 50,000 to those whose kaccha houses were damaged.
Kashmir was hit by one of the worst floods in a century in which at least 281 people died while thousands were rendered homeless.
The sources said the State government had sent an initial list of 21,000 families whose houses were damaged in floods for compensation from Government of India.
However, of the 21,000 families, Government of India had found 18,000 families with accounts mismatch, they said.
The sources said while 11,000 accounts were cleared, 7000 more cases are yet to be clarified.
Governor Vohra told the State administration to furnish the entire list to Government of India by January 31, 2014 so that compensation reaches the flood-affected families.
The Governor had on Saturday issued directions to the administration that the infrastructure damaged by floods across Kashmir, including bridges and government buildings, should be repaired and restored at the earliest.
Vohra had directed that Rs 1000 crore package that was announced by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the occasion of Diwali, should be used for rebuilding bridges, roads and other infrastructure damaged due to the floods.
The government and administration were caught unawares when the floods had hit the State with government failing to use its machinery to sound a red alert for evacuating the people from the low lying areas.
Public address system was not used to alert the population and most people living in the danger zones slept without knowing the dangers of staying put in their habitations.
After the floods, the government was conspicuous with its absence with the ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and police administration failing to reach out to the people.
Vohra had also reviewed the supply position of power, restoration of breaches, roads, PHE schemes, damage to crops and infrastructure.
On Saturday a delegation of civil society activists including the stakeholders of tourism, trade, handloom, transport sectors and houseboat owners had also met Governor Vohra and asked for speedy relief and rehabilitation for the flood-affected people.