The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today met various groups of flood-affected people in Srinagar to understand their problems first-hand, and listen to their suggestions on the rehabilitation process following the recent floods. The Prime Minister had announced that he would be spending the day of Diwali interacting with flood-affected people of Srinagar. These included delegations from Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Social Organizations and NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, Transport Operators, Tour and travel operators, fruit growers, dealers and horticulture institutions, educational institutions, youth organizations, religious communities and political groups. The Prime Minister said that a common thread running through the interaction with all groups was the suggestion that affected people should be given help directly. The Prime Minister said this request would be seriously considered. For instance, the Prime Minister said, it could be considered that assistance for rebuilding houses could be given directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries. Over and above the special central assistance of Rs. 1000 crore that was announced during the Prime Minister's visit to Srinagar in September, Shri Narendra Modi announced Rs. 570 crore assistance for housing. He said six major hospitals in the state of Jammu and Kashmir were in poor condition and required immediate intervention. For this he announced assistance of Rs. 175 crore. The Prime Minister also directed that schoolchildren who had lost books etc in the flood, should be provided the necessary study material immediately. The Prime Minister said other requests made by the state government would be considered after verification. The Prime Minister assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the entire nation stood with them in the rebuilding process, after the floods. The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri N.N. Vohra and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office, Dr. Jitendra Singh were present during the interaction with various groups. Earlier, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Omar Abdullah, called on the Prime Minister, soon after the Prime Minister arrived in Srinagar.
