Jammu, Feb 5 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that the government has approved the allotment of five marlas (approximately 126.5 square metres) of state land on a 40-year lease to landless families rendered homeless due to natural calamities.

Replying in writing to a question by BJP member Balwant Singh Mankotia, the Chief Minister said the Council of Ministers had approved the decision, following which a government order was issued on January 2. Under the policy, landless families affected by floods, flash floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir will be eligible for the allotment.

The land will be provided exclusively for residential purposes on a lease basis without charging any premium. Beneficiaries will be required to pay an annual ground rent of Rs 10 per marla for a period of 40 years, extendable further as per rules after approval by the competent authority. The allotment will be subject to conditions laid down in the government order, Abdullah said.

The Chief Minister further informed the House that more than 6,400 families affected by flash floods and landslides in Udhampur district have already been provided financial assistance amounting to over Rs 23.49 crore.

“A total of 6,449 affected families across Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar, and Latti-Marothi tehsils were compensated as per prescribed norms,” he said. Of these, 2,666 families in Udhampur tehsil were sanctioned approximately Rs 9.32 crore, while 1,208 families in Chenani tehsil received over Rs 5 crore.

In Ramnagar tehsil, 2,298 affected families were sanctioned Rs 7.86 crore, while 277 families in Latti-Marothi tehsil were provided relief assistance amounting to over Rs 1 crore, the Chief Minister added.

Abdullah said damage assessments were carried out by field teams and eligible cases were verified in accordance with State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms. Compensation was subsequently sanctioned and disbursed directly to beneficiaries through prescribed financial mechanisms.

He reiterated that the government has taken multiple steps to rehabilitate families rendered landless by natural calamities, including the allotment of state land for residential purposes under approved norms.

Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the budget in the Assembly on Friday. The budget is keenly awaited by over 61,000 daily-rated Public Health Engineering (PHE) workers, whose regularisation has remained pending for more than two decades. Many are expecting a positive announcement on the issue in the Chief Minister’s budget speech.

–IANS

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