Government failed to provide succour to flood-hit areas in J-K: Opposition

In this Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 photo, school buses washed away by severe flooding lie inside the compound of a residential house in Srinagar, India. Four weeks after the worst of the flooding that killed 281 people, destroyed at least 100,000 homes and cause an estimated $ 17 billion in damage, many of Kashmir’s villages and neighborhoods in the main city of Srinagar remain under several feet of water. Mountains of mud, garbage and abandoned cars line the roadsides. The stench of rotting animals hangs heavy in the air. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Monday witnessed noisy scenes as the opposition National Conference and Congress accused the government of failing to provide succour to the flood-hit areas.

“What are they doing there, while people continue to suffer?,” NC member Ali Mohammed Sagar said.

The National Conference members accused the government of not being able to deliver on the ground as the people in flood-hit areas continue to suffer.

They also took a dig at the BJP-PDP government for not being able to do anything to get Rs 44,000 crore relief and rehabilitation package sanctioned from the Union government.

“Why are people not getting the Rs 44,000 crore relief and rehabilitation package sanctioned from the Centre?” NC member Devender Singh Rana said.

Amidst the protest and noise, the Congress members from Chenab valley raised the issue of the damages being suffered by the areas in Chenab valley due to the ongoing incessant rains.

“Road links are disconnected, people are dying due to landslides, there is a scarcity of food grains in the area and what is the government doing?” Congress member Vikar Rasool questioned.

Vikar, who also tried to storm the well of the House, accused the government and its machinery of a complete failure to address the woes of the people of Chenab valley affected by incessant rains.

Congress member G M Saroori also carried a placard in the Assembly with ‘Save Chenab’ written on it.

“Houses are collapsing, people are dying and the government is in deep slumber,” he said.

The noisy scenes continued to rock the House when Congress member Usman Majeed urged Speaker Kavinder Gupta to hold an hour-long discussion in the House over the issue of floods caused by incessant rains in the state.

Order was restored in the House only after the Speaker accepted the demands of the opposition and agreed to hold a discussion on the issue of floods.

Later while speaking to the reporters, NC member Mubarakh Gul said, “The government has totally failed to address the woes of the people who are hit by floods in the state, especially the Kashmir valley. They are busy in just public relation exercises while the people who have lost their houses, their livelihood continues to suffer.”

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while talking to the reporters said, “It is unfortunate that the money for last year’s flood has not be released so far, apart from relief and rehabilitation work the money could have been used to take preventive measures.”

He said the proposal of Rs 44,000 crore was sent to the Government of India after his cabinet had approved it.

“It was aimed at providing permanent rehabilitation to the flood-hit people of the state,” he said.

Source:: Indian Express