J&K Budget Session 2026: CM Omar Abdullah Announces Housing Aid for Calamity Victims via MLA Funds

JAMMU, MARCH 31: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the Legislative Assembly today that the government has amended the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) guidelines to provide critical relief to victims of natural disasters and accidents.

Responding to a Calling Attention Motion moved by MLA Habba Kadal Shamim Firdous during the ongoing Budget Session, the Chief Minister announced that MLAs are now authorized to allocate up to 50 lakh from their CDF for housing assistance during the 2026–27 financial year.

This revised provision specifically targets the reconstruction and repair of homes for families hit by calamities, including fire incidents, ensuring that legislators can respond swiftly to emergencies within their constituencies.

The Chief Minister clarified that the term “calamity” under the new guidelines is inclusive of all events causing significant damage, such as fire, and that the benefits are not restricted to BPL or tribal families but are available to all affected households.

Under the new norms, assistance to an individual family is capped at 1 lakh. Providing a status update for Srinagar, the Chief Minister noted that 24 cases were recommended by the MLA for Habba Kadal for fire victim assistance, totaling an estimated 12.80 lakh.

While five cases have already been cleared following the completion of formalities, the remaining 19 are currently under assessment by the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar.

He assured the House that all eligible cases meeting the prescribed norms will be processed promptly to ensure timely relief for the victims.