: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha on Saturday laid the foundation stone to build 320 houses completely damaged during flash-floods and land-slides in Reasi District.

Funded entirely by High-range Rural Development Society (HRDS India) at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore, the initiative will provide 320 affected families in Reasi with modern, prefabricated "Smart Houses" without any burden on the government exchequer.

Earlier, the Lieutenant Governor had laid the foundation stones for 1,869 houses for families affected due to Pakistani Shelling during Operation Sindoor and recent natural calamities in eight districts including Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Ramban, Jammu, Kathua, and Samba.

The Lieutenant Governor praised Swami Atma Nambi, President HRDS-India and all the members of the NGO for their selfless contribution.

The Lieutenant Governor stated that, with the help of HRDS India, our vision is to ensure that no family affected due to natural calamity remains weak and disadvantaged.

“Houses for affected families are not just walls and roofs but they are embodiment of dreams and aspirations and foundation for quality living and personal growth for family members

I see this movement as a new revolution and a new model for the country where needy families are being taken care of without involving government money. It gives us a powerful Mantra that all should work together for the common good of the UT of J&K and its people,” the Lieutenant Governor said. 

The noble initiative features state-of-the-art, efficient, modern, resilient, and technologically advanced three-bedroom 'Smart Houses'. These houses are slated for completion within just six months of foundation work and include dedicated facilities such as cowsheds to support rural livelihoods.

HRDS India will also provide extensive social security package for beneficiary families. This holistic support includes 15 years of free life insurance and annual health check-ups for all family members. To ensure long-term sustainability, HRDS India will also provide maintenance of the houses for the next five years.

The Lieutenant Governor reiterated that it has been his sincere effort that entire J&K UT achieves speedy and all-round development.

“In the past five years, we had integrated physical, social, and digital components to create best infrastructure while prioritizing a people-first approach to provide dynamism to the development of UT of Jammu Kashmir,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted numerous infrastructure projects initiated over the last few years aimed at enhancing connectivity and improving the ease of living of the people of Reasi District.

Addressing the long pending demands, the Lieutenant Governor assured that work on underground Sewerage System for Katra town will commence within the next six months. Master Plan for Katra is currently in its final stages and is slated for approval. Efforts are also being intensified for establishment of the Inter-modal Station, he said.

The Lieutenant Governor lauded the CEO of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the entire team for their dedicated service and effective response during rescue and relief operations.

He shared the series of key initiatives undertaken by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

“The construction of the Shankaracharya Temple in Katra, a Rs 30 crore project is designed to enhance the spiritual landscape while boosting local economic opportunities. This follows the Board's successful completion of five temples in Reasi last year, with another five temples.

The Board has made the promotion of Sanskrit and Vedic education a top priority. This is highlighted by a Rs 1.5 crore funding grant to Kathua’s Chudamani Sanskrit Santhan Nyas and ongoing support for various Sanskrit and Ved Pathshallas and Gurukuls.

The Board’s Gurukul has achieved national distinction. The sustained efforts have also earned the Shrine Board numerous national level awards for environmental excellence.

The Board has procured Rs 22 crore worth of products from local Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Reasi and surrounding areas, with plans to scale this partnership to Rs 50 crore.

The Shrine Board remains dedicated to community service, undertaking the reconstruction of 15 schools damaged by recent floods and spending Rs 12 crore over the past seven years into the development of villages neighboring the Holy Shrine.

The construction of helipads at Katra and Shiv Khori, at Rs 27 crore, is in its final stages. These facilities, alongside the recently completed redevelopment of Shiv Khori, will soon be dedicated to the pilgrims to ensure a seamless pilgrimage experience. International Museum of the Goddess is also coming up in Katra,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor highlighted several pilgrim-centric measures taken by the Shrine Board. The insurance cover for pilgrims has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Furthermore, the Shrine Board continues to prioritize the health of devotees, spending approximately Rs 4 crore annually toward medical treatment of pilgrims, he said.

The Lieutenant Governor also underscored the Shrine Board’s commitment to the welfare of Baridar families.

Around 777 families received assistance for the marriage of their daughters. Under Kanjak Samriddhi Yojana, 565 young girls were provided with long-term financial security totaling Rs 9.49 crore. Under Girl Child Adoption Scheme, 154 girls from Baridar families benefited from an outlay of Rs 3.2 crore, he further said.

Shri Saraf Singh Nag, Chairman, District Development Council Reasi; Shri Baldev Raj Sharma, Member of Legislative Assembly, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi; Shri Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Shri Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Shri Sachin Kumar Vaishya, CEO Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board; Ms Sarah Rizvi, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range; Ms Nidhi Malik, Deputy Commissioner Reasi; Ms Vandana Pal, Associate Administrator, HRDS India, senior officers of civil and police administration and representatives of various social and political organisations attended the foundation stone laying ceremony.