New Delhi: Finance Ministry said it has released in advance the installment worth Rs 856.29 crore in October to Jammu and Kashmir to help the state government deal with the unprecedented situation of flood and natural calamity.
"The Ministry of Finance has released installments due in October, 2014 on September 9. This includes Rs 344.10 crore as Special Central Assistance and Rs 174.60 crore as non-plan revenue deficit,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
"On September 10, 2014, the Finance Ministry released Rs 346.59 crore as share in Central Taxes and duties to the government of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). All these installments are released in advance in order to bail-out the state government due to unprecedented situation of flood and natural calamity/disaster in the State," it said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday also announced a package of relief for those affected by the worst floods in a century, including a Rs 200 crore assistance for Jammu region and the valley and Rs 3.5 lakh for the kin of those who lost their lives in the disaster.
In the worst-ever floods to hit the state in 109 years, over 250 people have lost their lives while more than 1.25 lakh people have been evacuated from the affected areas by the armed forces.
Authorities fear that the number of dead could be higher.
