Srinagar: Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu Wednesday said the government is pursuing the flood relief package of Rs 44,000 crore with the Government of India (GOI) and that reports over squeezing it to mere Rs 1500 crore are incorrect.
Drabu said that the state dispensation is in the continuous touch with the New Delhi over the flood rehabilitation package and also the world bank has assessed the damage caused to the private and public infra structure as rupees Rs 21,000 due to devastating flood of September last. How could the package be a mere Rs 1500 crore when even a proper assessment of the losses has been done by the World Bank, Drabu said.
The finance minister added that the damage has been separated into two parts. One is private infrastructure which include houses, shops and other properties which was damaged and the second one is the public infrastructure which includes roads, bridges, hospitals, government infrastructure, said Drabu adding that the public infrastructure could be rebuilt with the assistance from the concerned union ministries while as damage caused to the private infrastructure in the state would be mitigated by the finance ministry, world bank and state government also.
Over the recent statement of the union home minister Rajnath Singh about the 50 acres of land being given to the migrant pundits, Drabu maintained: All internal discussions have been on rehabilitating the Kashmiri Pandits in inclusive mixed habitations and not in isolated pockets.
Replying to a two-day debate on the demand for grants of his ministry, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed government’s commitment to rehabilitate the exiled Kashmiri pandits in the valley.
He said the chief minister has promised to earmark 50 acres of land as a first instalment for this purpose.
The statement created uproar in valley with several mainstream and separatist parties castigating the move.
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