Srinagar, Sep 25 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir government has intensified relief and restoration measures in rain- and landslide-hit Rajouri and Poonch districts and sought an on-the-spot assessment by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary said in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Choudhary was responding to a Calling Attention Motion moved by MLA Muzaffar Iqbal Khan over extensive damage caused by heavy rains, flash floods and landslides in Thanamandi constituency and various parts of Poonch.

The Deputy Chief Minister was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the portfolio of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

He said Rs 300 lakh had been released to Rajouri under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Rs 281 lakh under the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF). For Poonch, Rs 400 lakh had been released under SDRF and Rs 137 lakh under CMRF.

In Thanamandi, Rs 75.52 lakh had been disbursed to 149 affected families under SDRF norms, while Rs 120.50 lakh had been provided to 138 families under CMRF, he said.

In Poonch, Rs 216.379 lakh had been disbursed to affected families under SDRF, the minister informed the House.

He said an additional Rs 5 crore each had been provided to Rajouri and Poonch under the UT Capex Budget for priority restoration and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. The funds are being utilised through the concerned executing agencies, he added.

According to the government, Thanamandi constituency reported damage to 182 roads, 25 HT poles/33 KV line infrastructure, 70 transformers, 72 drinking-water schemes, 51.98 hectares of agricultural land, 1.90 hectares of horticulture land and 149 houses.

In Poonch, 388 roads, 55 bridges, 29 power stations/transformers, 72 drinking-water schemes, 217.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel7 hectares of agricultural land and 379 houses were affected.

The final damage assessment for infrastructure restoration in Thanamandi stands at Rs 13,025.94 lakh for roads and bridges, Rs 1,360.43 lakh for power stations and transformers, Rs 4,149 lakh for water supply schemes and Rs 6,024 lakh for khuls.

For Rajouri district, the final assessment totals Rs 46,022.57 lakh, including Rs 18,517.50 lakh for roads and bridges, Rs 3,144.32 lakh for power infrastructure and Rs 24,360.75 lakh for water supply schemes.

For Poonch, the final assessment amounts to Rs 18,185.95 lakh, comprising Rs 18,185.95 lakh for roads and bridges, Rs 233.75 lakh for power infrastructure, Rs 2,315.07 lakh for water supply schemes and Rs 186.97 lakh for khuls.

On the demand for a special inter-departmental mechanism, the government said an existing institutional mechanism involving concerned line departments and district administrations was already in place for coordinated assessment, restoration and rehabilitation of affected infrastructure and essential services.

The situation is being closely monitored and additional assistance will be initiated as required, it said.

The government also informed the House that the matter had been taken up with the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking deputation of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation arising from flash floods, floods, cloudbursts and landslides during the 2026 monsoon in Jammu and Kashmir.

It said all reported cases of damage were being examined and verified by designated committees as per the prescribed procedure to ensure that genuine and eligible cases were covered and relief reached affected persons in a timely and transparent manner.(KNS)