Mohinder Verma
AMMU, Feb 7: In a positive development for Jammu and Kashmir, the World Bank team has found majority of flood-hit sectors worth for assistance under its various programmes and schemes and there would be detailed mention about each of them in the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment Report being submitted to the Union Finance Ministry next week.
Meanwhile, Governor N N Vohra has directed the State’s Finance Secretary to vigorously pursue discussions with the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union Finance Ministry on the subject.
“There is urgent need to fast track the process in order to help the State in its post disaster recovery plans as well as strengthen its capacity for disaster risk management”, the Governor said after receiving briefing from the Finance Secretary on the visit of the World Bank team and the broad contours of the assessment report.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that World Bank team, which concluded its visit to different parts of State yesterday after detailed loss assessment exercise, has found majority of sectors particularly relating to public infrastructure and private houses suitable for assistance under its various components.
“The team, during wrap up meeting with the J&K’s Administrative Secretaries headed by Chief Secretary, revealed that all the priority sectors fulfill the criteria for World Bank assistance keeping in view the intensity of damages suffered during the devastating floods of September last year”, they said.
Among the public infrastructure, the team has prioritized education, roads and buildings and health sectors for assistance. “It has also shown interest in funding tourism and its related activities and small enterprises besides strengthening of Disaster Management Authorities”, sources said while disclosing that majority of points contained in the memorandum submitted by the State Government before start of visit received weightage from the visiting team. The memorandum was based on Rs 44000 crore special package submitted by the State Government to Union Government following the floods.
Disclosing that assistance for rebuilding private houses damaged in the devastating floods too received favourable response from the team, sources said, “the World Bank has indicated that J&K qualifies for assistance on the pattern of Uttarakhand in this particular field. This indicates that for fully damaged houses, J&K would get Rs 5 lakh assistance from the World Bank”.
They informed that World Bank team has incorporated environment management as vital chapter in its report and it would make several recommendations on the subject so that necessary steps would be taken to check environment degradation, which remains the major factor in natural calamities like the one experienced by J&K in the month of September last year.
“Only those components of Rs 44000 crore package, which don’t fall in the domain of the World Bank, failed to receive any attention of the visiting team”, sources said. The team, however, appreciated the efforts made by the State Government in temporarily restoring the damages in the vital sectors to provide much needed succor to the affected populace.
According to the sources, following submission of final report to the Department of Economic Affairs of Union Finance Ministry next week, the Union Ministry will hold discussions with the World Bank team on the report. Thereafter, J&K Government team would have deliberations with the Department of Economic Affairs.
“This trilateral discussion will result into working out of modalities for obtaining assistance from the World Bank in the shape of loan, which would be routed to J&K through Union Finance Ministry”, sources said, adding “during these discussions J&K Government would project the priorities and the Union Government would work out quantum of loan required to be obtained from the World Bank”.
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