Chief Secretary directs depts to fast-track disaster recovery works across J&K

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Sunday directed that all projects under Recovery and Reconstruction Plan-2025 be geo-tagged and uploaded on the BEAMS digital platform.

The direction was issued during a meeting to review the implementation of the Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) Plan-2025 and utilisation of the disaster recovery assistance sanctioned for the Union Territory by the Centre.

Dulloo also directed departments to accelerate formulation and execution of projects under the disaster recovery package sanctioned for J&K while ensuring that every reconstructed asset is made more resilient to future disasters.

The chief secretary said all projects be geo-tagged forthwith and uploaded on the BEAMS (Budget Estimation, Allocation & Monitoring System) digital platform, creating a unified digital record for monitoring progress, financial utilisation and physical outcomes.

He took detailed stock of the Rs 1,579.09 crore recovery package approved by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the NDRF/SDRF R&R Funding Window.

The package was approved through the Ministry of Home Affairs for Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for damages caused by floods, cloudbursts, landslides and other disasters to the tune of Rs 1,534.58 crore, besides Rs 44.52 crore for the dedicated Ramban district recovery plan following the April 2025 cloudburst and flash floods.

Reviewing the progress, the chief secretary noted that departments have so far prepared action plans amounting to Rs 1,225.78 crore, leaving a balance of Rs 353.31 crore to be operationalised by the jal shakti and agriculture sectors.

Emphasising that disaster recovery should not merely restore damaged infrastructure to its pre-disaster condition, he directed all executing agencies to strictly follow the ‘Build-Back-Better’ (BBB) approach.

Dulloo also called for strict cross-verification of beneficiary lists and project proposals with major ongoing schemes, including PMAY-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT, SASCI, NABARD, PMGSY and Samagra Shiksha, to eliminate any possibility of duplication and ensure optimal use of public resources.

He called for reconstructed assets to incorporate appropriate disaster-resilient features, including compliance with Seismic Zone IV/V requirements, elevated plinths and slope stabilisation measures, wherever applicable.

The departments were also asked to optimally utilise both norm-based and flexible assistance available under the approved recovery framework to meet incremental resilience requirements.

The meeting was attended by additional chief secretary, finance; additional chief secretary, PWD; principal secretary, DMRR&R; director, civil defence and SDRF; administrative secretaries, and divisional commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu divisions, among others. Deputy commissioners from all 20 districts participated virtually.