JAMMU, Dec 10: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) today regarding the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and approved the addition of five more local disasters to the pre-existing list in accordance with SDRF regulations.
The meeting included the Principal Secretary of Home and DMRR&R, along with other SEC members such as the Principal Secretary of Finance, ADGP L&O, Divisional Commissioner for Kashmir/Jammu, and the Secretary of Revenue.
Deputy Commissioners joined the meeting via video conference from their respective locations.
In this high-level meeting, SEC members reached a consensus to add five locally relevant disasters to the previously notified list per SDRF guidelines. These are Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), Lightning & Thunderstorms, Heavy Snowfall, Incidents of Man-Animal Conflict, and Boat Capsizing.
These local disasters have been recognized specifically for the Union Territory (UT) for the purposes of providing benefits to affected individuals as per the SDRF protocol. This initiative is expected to offer significant relief to numerous victims of such calamities.
The SEC also agreed to release over Rs 6 Crore to the Deputy Commissioners of Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Srinagar, Rajouri, and Ramban, based on their requests for additional funds to cover expenses related to various disasters that occurred in their districts this year.
Additionally, the committee decided to allocate Rs 6.5 Crore to HG/CD/SDRF for modernizing the force with various types of equipment, including drones, remote-controlled lifebuoys, fire entry suits, power descendents, and battery-operated cutter cum spreaders.
Other matters discussed in this SEC meeting that received approval included earmarking Rs 50 lakh for SDRF capacity building through training programs, mock drills, and preparedness activities for the upcoming financial year. It was also decided to allocate Rs 30 lakh to upgrade the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in J&K.
The Chief Secretary took the opportunity to inquire about disaster preparedness in the districts from Deputy Commissioners and acknowledged their suggestions.
Principal Secretary of DMRR&R, Chandraker Bharti, elaborated on the activities conducted by the department over the year, emphasizing the importance of each agenda item in enhancing the UT’s readiness against the disasters that the region is susceptible to.
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