In a major relief for the UT of J&K, the Central Government, upon the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has approved a comprehensive allocation of over Rs 1,430 Cr for reconstruction of damaged public infrastructure and implementation of disaster mitigation measures across affected districts of the UT.
This significant development came to light during a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, which was attended by all Administrative Secretaries.The meeting was convened to assess the progress of key reform-oriented financial initiatives such as Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) and SNA SPARSH, being monitored by the Finance Department and implemented across various departments of the UT Government.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya apprised the chair of several major milestones achieved by the UT in securing central financial assistance across multiple sectors.He further informed that following the recent natural disasters, including cloudbursts in parts of the UT, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) had visited Jammu and Kashmir. Based on its assessment, the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the declaration of these calamities as “severe” in nature, paving the way for the substantial allocation aimed at reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and adoption of long-term mitigation measures.
The Principal Secretary, Finance, presented a detailed status report outlining approvals received, expenditure incurred, and reform benchmarks achieved by the UT under various centrally sponsored and reform-linked schemes.The Chief Secretary expressed gratitude to the Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs for the timely assistance, stating that the support would go a long way in strengthening the UT’s preparedness against future disasters, besides enabling large-scale reconstruction of damaged public assets, including roads, power infrastructure, and water supply systems.
He directed the concerned departments, particularly the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRR&R) and the School Education Department, to promptly identify mitigation works eligible under the approved funding and ensure their completion by August 2026, in accordance with scheme guidelines.Emphasizing optimal utilisation of funds, the Chief Secretary called upon all departments to fully utilise the first instalment of Rs 944 Cr released under SASCI and ensure that at least one bill under pending Centrally Sponsored Schemes is processed through SNA SPARSH. He set a deadline of January 7, 2026, for achieving this target, with the Finance Department tasked to monitor progress on a daily basis.
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