Jammu, Sept 19: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Friday visited the flood-affected border village of Badyal Brahmana in R S Pura to take stock of the damage caused by recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister began his visit by walking through fields submerged under flood waters, where he interacted with farmers and personally assessed the destruction of standing crops. Addressing a large gathering of flood-hit families, he assured that the Central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stands firmly with the people of J&K in this time of crisis.
Chouhan said the Centre would extend all possible assistance once the J&K administration submits a detailed memorandum of losses. He noted that teams from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Jal Shakti, Rural Development and Agriculture have already conducted field surveys in affected areas and will submit their reports shortly. “After receiving the state government’s report, the Union government will leave no stone unturned in providing relief,” he said.
Later in Jammu, the Minister chaired a review meeting with senior officials of the J&K government and announced a slew of immediate relief measures. He declared that one instalment under PM-Kisan would be released immediately for flood-affected farmers. Further, to support rural workers, he announced an additional 50 man-days under MGNREGA, raising the entitlement from 100 to 150 days in flood-hit areas.
Chouhan also announced compensation for farmers who lost domestic animals in the deluge. He said nearly 5,000 damaged houses reported by the J&K administration would be rebuilt under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with each household to receive ₹1.3 lakh along with funds for a separate toilet. Additionally, he sanctioned ₹76 crore for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) which, he noted, had not only played a key role in community support but also suffered heavy losses.
The Minister urged authorities to relax mining rules so that farmers could use sand deposits left on their fields by floodwaters for agricultural purposes. He further informed that the J&K government currently has ₹2,499 crore available for disaster management, which will be channelled into relief and restoration works, while assuring that the Centre would provide additional funds if required.
He said special attention would be given to renovating damaged canals and strengthening embankments with central assistance to prevent future flooding.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Chouhan told reporters, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not alone in this calamity. Every possible support—financial and technical—will be provided to restore normalcy and rebuild lives.”
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