Omar Abdullah visits Kishtwar cloudburst site, announces relief & rehabilitation measures

Jammu: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Saturday, visited the cloudburst-hit village in Kishtwar district, where he announced a slew of relief and rehabilitation measures, assuring full assistance to the affected families.

On reaching Chashoti village in Kishtwar, the CM took firsthand account of the devastation caused by the recent cloudburst. Omar Abdullah was briefed by army personnel and used a virtual reality headset to assess the scale of destruction.

He travelled by road from Kishtwar town, where he had a night halt after reaching there late last evening. He was accompanied by his Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Chairman District Development Council, Pooja Thakur, MLA Inderwal, Pyarelal Sharma, MLA Ramban, Arjun Singh Raju, former minister Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo.

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Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Inspector General of Police Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, SSP Kishtwar, and other senior civil and police officers were present during the chief minister’s visit to the disaster site. Expressing profound sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and widespread damage, the Chief Minister assured the people that the government stands firmly with them in this hour of grief.

As a measure of solidarity and immediate relief, the Chief Minister announced ex gratia assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He said the families of those who lost their lives would receive financial support of Rs 2 lakh each, while those who sustained severe injuries would be given Rs 1 lakh and those with minor injuries Rs 50,000.

Similarly, for structural damages, he announced Rs 1 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 50,000 for severely damaged ones, and Rs 25,000 for partially damaged structures. He also issued directions for the immediate restoration of essential infrastructure in the affected areas.

During the visit, the Chief Minister met the bereaved families and those affected by the tragedy, prayed for the departed souls, and assured the people that his government will extend not only immediate assistance, but also long-term rehabilitation to help them rebuild their lives.

So far, 60 bodies have been recovered, 46 of these have been identified and handed over to the families for performing the last rites. Over 100 injured people have been evacuated to hospitals for treatment.