SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has directed departments to accelerate the formulation and execution of projects under the Recovery & Reconstruction (R&R) Plan–2025, stressing that all reconstructed infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir must be made resilient to future disasters.
Chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the plan and utilisation of disaster recovery assistance sanctioned by the Government of India, Dulloo took detailed stock of the ₹1,579.09-crore package approved by the National Disaster Management Authority under the NDRF/SDRF R&R Funding Window.
The package includes ₹1,534.58 crore approved for the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) covering damage caused by floods, cloudbursts, landslides and other disasters, besides ₹44.52 crore for a dedicated recovery plan for Ramban district following the April 2025 cloudburst and flash floods.
The Chief Secretary noted that departments have so far prepared costed action plans worth ₹1,225.78 crore, leaving ₹353.31 crore to be operationalised by the Jal Shakti and Agriculture departments.
Dulloo directed executing agencies to strictly adopt the ‘Build Back Better’ (BBB) approach, emphasising that disaster recovery must go beyond merely restoring damaged infrastructure to its pre-disaster condition.
He also called for cross-verification of beneficiary lists and project proposals against major ongoing schemes, including PMAY-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT, SASCI, NABARD, PMGSY and Samagra Shiksha, to prevent duplication and ensure efficient utilisation of public funds.
The Chief Secretary further directed departments to incorporate disaster-resilient features in reconstructed assets, including compliance with Seismic Zone IV/V requirements, elevated plinths and slope stabilisation measures wherever necessary.
All projects were also ordered to be geo-tagged and uploaded on the BEAMS digital platform to facilitate unified monitoring of physical progress, financial utilisation and project outcomes.
Principal Secretary, DMRR&R, Chandraker Bharti, briefed the meeting on the sector-wise progress. In the social sector, departments have formulated plans worth ₹262.11 crore against an approved allocation of ₹289.40 crore.
The housing component has achieved 100 per cent commitment of its ₹193.19-crore allocation, covering 9,083 households, including 5,227 fully and 3,856 severely damaged houses.
The Roads & Bridges sector has planned utilisation of its entire ₹461.64-crore allocation for restoration of around 1,230.7 km of roads and 4,494.5 metres of bridges.
In the Power sector, plans worth ₹70.08 crore have been formulated against an allocation of ₹72.97 crore. The works target restoration of more than 21,000 poles, 1,100 circuit kilometres of conductors and 800 transformers, benefiting around 1.45 lakh consumers.
The Drinking Water & Sanitation sector has formulated plans worth ₹59.02 crore against ₹139.65 crore, while Irrigation & Flood Control has planned ₹93.01 crore against ₹199.79 crore and is working towards full utilisation of the available funds.
In the productive sectors, Agriculture has formulated plans worth ₹168.36 crore against ₹223.67 crore, covering 45 packages related to crop inputs, land reclamation and restoration of research infrastructure at SKUAST-Jammu. Animal Husbandry & Livestock has planned ₹8.86 crore against ₹10.28 crore, while Horticulture has fully utilised its ₹3.87-crore allocation, benefiting 3,493 farmers.
The meeting also reviewed the dedicated ₹44.52-crore recovery plan for Ramban, prepared following the April 19–20, 2025 cloudburst and flash floods. The plan includes ₹23.24 crore for Roads & Bridges, ₹3.34 crore for Irrigation & Flood Control, ₹1.78 crore for Education and ₹1.48 crore for Animal Husbandry & Livestock.
Dulloo directed that household assistance under the recovery programme be released strictly according to the 30:40:30 progress-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism, ensuring that payments correspond with the actual progress of reconstruction.
He further instructed block, sub-divisional and district-level nodal officers to resolve E-Samadhan and CPGRAMS grievances within 15 days, making grievance redressal a key component of the recovery monitoring system.
The Chief Secretary said the recovery programme should ensure not only timely restoration of damaged infrastructure but also the creation of a more resilient and disaster-ready Jammu & Kashmir, with every rupee sanctioned resulting in durable public assets and meaningful relief for affected communities.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Additional Chief Secretary, PWD; Principal Secretary, DMRR&R; Director, CD & SDRF; Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, and other senior officers. Deputy Commissioners from all 20 districts participated virtually.
