Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 26: A high level Government of India team led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Bhagwan Shankar today visited various parts of Doda district for an on spot assessment of damage caused to public and Government property due to devastating earthquake on May 1 followed by aftershocks for over a fortnight.
The Central team is on three days visit of Doda and Kishtwar districts, the worst affected by the earthquake. It would extensively tour Kishtwar district tomorrow and fly back to New Delhi on Tuesday.
Official sources said the team has been deputed by the Government of India to assess the damage cause by quake before taking a decision on the State Government proposal for Rs 607 crores worth compensation for the quake victims and re-construction of infrastructure.
The team led by Mr Shankar comprised B L Meena, Assistant Director Expenditure, Union Ministry of Finance, B K Singh, Under Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development Department and Jugal Kishore Sharma, Deputy Advisor, Planning Commission of India.
Sources said the Central team today visited various areas of Doda district while tomorrow it would be having a round of Kishtwar district including far off villages, where houses and shops of the people had suffered extensive damage. The Government buildings including the schools have also been badly damaged.
The team would submit its detailed report to the Government of India on the damages to both public and Government property to help the Centre formulate package for the earthquake victims and restoration of damaged infrastructure.
The team headed by Mr Shankar said the team after returning to New Delhi would finalise its report within 7 to 10 days and submit it to the Government of India with their observations and recommendations.
District Development Commissioner (DDC) Doda, Mubarak Singh gave a detailed presentation to the Central team after accompanying them to various quake hit areas.
The Central team on their arrival this morning had an extensive round of Bhaderwah town, which bore brunt of the damage, and its peripheries where they went inside a number of houses, which had been extensively damaged in the earthquake.
“The team had a detailed insight of the damage. It visited house-to-house following be Government buildings including Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), Government higher secondary school etc and itself witnessed the massive cracks in the buildings, rendering most of them unsafe,’’ sources said.
The team also saw the people putting up in tents despite rains. It also saw the Government schools and some officers operating from the tents, sources said.
The team visited remote village of Changa in Gandoh area and Ghat block of Doda to have first hand information of the damage caused by earthquake.
The team also visited Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Arnora and saw the damage caused to it and adjacent houses.
In Doda town, the team had a look at the houses, commercial establishments and Government buildings damaged by the earthquake. Later, they held a meeting with district administration of Doda in which DC Doda Mubarak Singh gave detailed assessment of the damage including number of houses, commercial establishments and Government buildings damaged completely, severely and partially in the earthquake.
Sources said the Central package for the earthquake victims and damaged Government infrastructure would depend on the report submitted by the team after its return to New Delhi.
It may be mentioned here that the State Government has sought Rs 607 crore worth Central package for the earthquake victims of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts and restoration of Government infrastructure.
Sources said the Central team also witnessed relief measures undertaken by the State Government through State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and tents sent by the Union Government on the directions of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
In his presentation, Mubarak Singh said the quake had damaged 80-90 percent houses. He said 48755 residential houses have suffered damages in the district, which included 1061 fully damaged houses, 10379 severely damaged houses and 37315 partially damaged houses.
He also said that 638 religious structures were damaged, which comprised 12 fully, 50 severely and 576 partially. He also apprised the team that tents are being provided to the severely affected people in the district on priority basis.
Mr Singh also said that the relief being provided by the SDRF for the damaged residential structures would not commensurate to the extent of damages and there is need of the special package for the district keeping in view the geo-graphical and topographical conditions besides poor socio-economic condition of the affected people living in the region. The DDC also presented various long term measures and plans before the Central team.
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