Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 4: Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, at Civil Secretariat here this afternoon, deferred the routine agenda keeping in view the massive damages caused by the flash floods across the State during the past two days.
The Cabinet, however, while expressing shock over the loss of precious lives due to floods and mud slides, ordered release of Rs 10 crore each to be placed immediately with the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu for providing immediate succour to the people affected by the rainfall and floods.
As soon as Cabinet meeting started at 3 pm, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma briefed the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and other Ministerial colleagues about the situation prevailing across the State due to massive rainfall.
On the directions of the Chief Minister, Commissioner Secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Dr Pawan Kotwal and Secretary, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kaul apprised the Cabinet about the situation prevailing in different parts of the State and preliminary reports of the damages.
After taking appraisal, Cabinet decided to defer the routine agenda and focus entirely on the prevailing situation in order to provide much-needed succor to the floods affected people. It was further decided that the routine agenda would be discussed and cleared tomorrow when the Cabinet will again meet at 11 am.
Chief Minister directed all the Ministers to personally monitor the rescue and relief operations so that further loss of lives could be avoided and necessary help is extended to the people.
The Cabinet directed the concerned authorities to shift the affected people to safer shelters on higher ground and open community kitchens for them in such shelters. The authorities were directed to concentrate their efforts on the immediate rescue of the affected people and get down to the assessment of damages after the rescue operations are completed.
It ordered immediate restoration of all the roads and other systems of communication besides Commissioner Secretary Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation was asked to requisition contingents of the NDRF for being deployed in the affected areas of the State.
The Cabinet also ordered closure of Government and Private Schools and Colleges in the State till September 7 in order to ensure safety of school going children. Now, the schools and colleges will reopen on September 8.
Meanwhile, due to inclement weather conditions all Kashmir University examinations scheduled to be held on September 4 and 5 have been postponed.
Fresh dates of examinations for the papers would be notified separately.
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