Jammu Sept. 19 :
Congress has raised questions over the delay in the relief, restoration and rehabilitation measures in the absence of a comprehensive relief package from the centre and demanded that P.M. should visit J&K without delay
PM has not visited J&K
and announce mega relief package like Himachal , Punjab. Addressing a press conference here today, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Former Minister Shri Mula Ram, I /C PCC HQ Ved Mahajan Ex-MLC, Chairman JKPCC Kissan Cell Bharat Priye & Working Chairman PCC Tribal Deptt. Ch. Hussain Ali Waffa expressed grave concern over the slow pace of relief, rehabilitation and restoration measures of different kinds, as a result people continue to suffer a lot. The Prime Minister failed to visit J&K so far or announce any relief package for J&K on the pattern of HP and Punjab, they said.
They took strong exception to the delay in the restoration of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, as a result the fruit industry, transporters and traders have suffered huge loss of crores of rupees . The entire roads of highway in Jammu and surroundings roads are full of loaded trucks, all around in the absence of restoration of highway Jammu-Srinagar and also Jammu-Mugal Road.
They said that farmers have suffered a lot as thousands of kanal of land and their livestock have been washed away especially belonging to the tribal Gujjar-Bakerwals residing near water bodies and rivers. The Administrative lapses like the failure to lay down embankment of 35 meters on Chenab bank led to huge destruction in Pargwal area of Akhnoor but expert committee constituted to identify the man made lapses.
Working President Raman Bhalla said that several villages and localities have been sinking and witnessed land slides but people have got no hope so far. All such localities should be identified and the residents re-located to safer zones, however 5 marla land is inadequate for rural population, who have to keep livestock. Such population should be given adequate land besides residential purposes for keeping their cattle too. He referred to Village Rah-Siot, Kasandhar in Akhnoor Division, Kalideh in Sunderbani, District Rajouri, Kalaban in Mendhar, Poonch Bhajwal and several such areas in the region.
He demanded a technical team of experts to visit all such identified villages for study and suggest safety measures.
Referring to the faulty assessment of damages, Chief Spokesperson Mr. Ravinder Sharma pointed out a case of full house damage of one elderly widow Smt. Parmeshwari Devi Widow of Khem Raj of Thandapani Sunderbani, Dist. Rajouri, who has been paid only Rs. 4000/- for full house damage. This is great injustice and eye wash. A multi-department team comprising of engineering wing should be part of the damage assessment teams for houses for proper assessment.
Former Minister Shri Mula Ram also demanded Union Agriculture Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan, should announce relief measures for farmers, fruit growers, milk producers and other allied sectors including waiver of KCC loans, dairy loans, besides loss of agricultural related machinery like pump sets of farmers.
There are several irrigation areas where power to pump sets has not been restored posing danger to left out paddy crops. The GoI has not ordered any enquiry by experts to look into causes of huge loss to roads and bridges, to identify other reasons and fix responsibilities too.
More than one month of Chashoti tragedy and other devastation in the region, the Prime Minister failed to visit J&K or announce any comprehensive relief package, as a result the relief and rehabilitation measures are at very slow pace, in the absence of a comprehensive package of the centre Govt. They impressed upon the Centre and UT Govt. to speed up relief and rehabilitation measures on different fronts and expressed great concern over the neglect of the J&K by the Centre, so far and demanded the Prime Minister to visit here, personally take assessment of damages to release comprehensive package at the earliest without further delay.
