- J&K’s worst catastrophe of the century fails to awake the central and state Govts. : Harsh
JAMMU: Expressing grave concern over the unmitigating disaster occurring in the state due to uncertainties and vagaries of weather, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and Former Minister has lambasted the Union and State govt. for their lackadaisical approach in formulating the much proclaimed and long awaited Disaster Management Policy for J&K. Regretting that national calamities, which have become a regular feature in the State occurring in all weathers and causing colossal damage to property, houses, business establishments, standing crops, trade and industry, water and power infrastructure, agricultural fields besides loss of precious lives have failed to elicit adequate response from the central and state govts. thus aggravating the woes and sufferings of the common masses of the state.
Strongly flaying the Union govt. for announcing freebies and pittance in the name of relief and rehabilitation, Mr. Singh castigated the BJP led govt. for its failure to release the much proclaimed package of Rs. 44,000 crore projected by the state govt. He said with fresh disaster causing havoc in the state miseries of the already affected people had been further compounded and required focused attention of the Union of India on war footing. He said the BJP led govt. has not only delayed the positioning of disaster management mechanism in the state but has also doled out the most discriminatory treatment to various districts of Jammu region in the matter of relief and rehabilitation. He said that undoubtedly the unprecedents floods and natural calamities have caused huge loss in Kashmir valley, the damages in Udhampur district, Poonch and Rajouri can’t be undermined and need to be suitably compensated. He said that NDRF and SDRF teams need to be dispatched to the affected areas of Kashmir and Jammu region in view of MET Deptts. forecasts of further turbulences during the next five days.
Reminding the BJP led govt. of its tall prouncements, Mr. Singh said that Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on rescue and rehabilitation in the aftermath of September 2014 floods had categorically asked the Union govt. “ not to shrug off its responsibility in re-building the flood ravaged state”. He said that the said Parliamentary committee had specifically instructed in its 182 page report to cover all aspects of the losses caused including damages to infrastructure and tourism. He further reminded the BJP led govt. at the Centre that during Assembly Elections in the state it had assured full rehabilitation, relief and reconstruction of the state devastated by the floods and even incorporated its promise in the ‘vision Document’ published in 2014.
Flaying the inordinate delay in relief and rehabilitation work, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that the Union Govt. had deliberately prolonged the issue by raising various disputes after several months of the catastrophe with regard to quantum of relief and extent of damage. He said that a situation of similar nature had occurred in Jharkhund in June 2013 where the devastation caused by flash floods was addressed within two months. He said that in Jharkhund, the Union govt. was quick to act with a joint world bank team and Asian Development Bank team in collaboration with state govt. and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery conducting a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment to rebuilt the infrastructure and assets damaged due to natural disaster. He said that the work was completed by the said world Bank team in one week and by August 2013 the agreement was finalized with World Bank and ADB for grant of $ 400 million for Jharkhund for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Mr. Harsh Dev Singh regretted that in the case of J&K the loss assessment was left to State govt. and when it completed its exercise, prepared its report and sought a package of Rs. 44000 crore, the Union govt. refused to accept the projections of the state govt. after a period of several months. He regretted that despite the World Bank having announced the award for rehabilitation, J&K continued to be deprived of its legitimate funding with the central govt. merely indulging in rhetorical overtures and loud prouncements without offering the much needed financial support. Urging upon the Union govt. to press their relief and rescue teams to all the districts as the entire state has been affected due to the turbulent weather, Mr. Singh called upon the Union govt. to enhance the relief from Rs. 44,000 crore to Rs. 1 lakh crore for the September as well as the current damages with balance amount, if any, to form Corpus Fund for the Disaster Management in the state in view of the weather inclemency having become a perpetual phenomenon in the state.