Declaring the Jammu and Kashmir floods as national level disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced 1,000 crore rupees as special assistance for flood relief and rehabilitation. He made the announcement in Srinagar after undertaking a visit to the state for first hand information of the situation.

A statement from the prime minister's office said Mr. Modi shared the pain and anguish of the people as he was briefed in Jammu and in Srinagar by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officials of the state government about the damage caused by the floods.

The Prime Minister observed that the 1,100 crore rupees which is being made available to the state government through the state Disaster Relief Fund would not prove to be adequate in view of the magnitude of the tragedy. He said the more assistance would be provided, if required, after a proper survey of the situation.

The Prime Minister also called upon other states also to pitch in with relief assistance in whatever way they could. Terming it as a national level disaster, Modi said that the centre stands shoulder to shoulder with the state government and the people of the state in this hour of crisis.

In a humanitarian gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered all possible assistance to Pakistan for carrying out relief operations in the flood-ravaged Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and said that the Indian government was ready to provide humanitarian assistance to those areas if the Pakistan government needs it.

The Prime Minister said like in Jammu and Kashmir, the people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir region too were bearing losses due to the floods. This is a humanitarian work and India will never be behind in doing such work, the PMO statement said.