SRINAGAR: Tanvir Sadiq, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday met a high level delegation of Canada headed by Parliamentary Secretary to Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry (MoS), Deepak Oberio and other members Shuvaloy Majumdar Director of Policy, Theressa de Haan Counsellor and Political and economic Programme and Madhusri Das Senior Analyst.
Tanvir briefed the visiting delegation about the devastation by the recent floods and the Government’s efforts to rehabilitate the people at the earliest. He said that the main and only focus is to ensure rehabilitation of Flood affected people.
He said the government has approved special financial package for submission to Government of India for providing funds to the tune of Rs.44,000 crore approximately for rehabilitation of the people who suffered due to floods and for restoration of the damaged infrastructure. He further added that the Union Government has been requested to declare tax holiday for J and K State for a period of 10 years to help in the revival of the State’s economy.
The Political Secretary said that the approved proposal under the special financial package submitted to the government includes payment of ex-gratia relief against the loss of private structures to the tune of Rs.9 lakh for fully damaged Puucca house, Rs. 6 lakh for fully damaged Kacha house, Rs. 4 lakh for partially damaged Kacha/Pucca house including boundary walls and Rs. 1 lakh for other structures. The affected families whose houses are fully damaged can also avail housing loan up to Rs. 20 lakh at 4 per cent interest only, as the balance interest to be charged by the banks shall be borne by the Government. The repayment shall be worked out up to 10 years with a moratorium of two years initially. Moreover, those people whose houses are fully damaged can shift to a hired accommodation nearly for one year till they rebuild their houses. The rent of this one year shall be reimbursed to them by the Government.