Aiming to provide shelter for earthquake victims before the onset of winter, the central government on Wednesday said defence and central para-military forces will adopt six villages in quake-hit Jammu and Kashmir, while National Hydel Power Corporation will adopt an equal number of villages in the state for reconstruction.
"Our aim is to provide shelter and clothes to all the affected people before the onset of winter. Therefore, it has been decided that Army will adopt two villages, while Indian Air Force, BSF, CRPF and ITBP will adopt a village each for reconstruction," Union Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal told reporters in New Delhi.
The Public Sector Undertaking NHPC, which looks after power generation in the state, will adopt six villages for reconstruction, he said.
Duggal said these villages will be developed as model villages, where authorities would ensure that all basic needs of the people affected by Saturday's killer quake were fulfilled.
Referring to relief and rescue operations, Duggal said very few habitations were left where relief supplies were yet to reach.
He said Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will be chairing a meeting of senior officials in Srinagar either on Thursday or Friday to finalise reconstruction plan for the quake-ravaged state.
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