Jammu:- J&K Public Works minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today criticised Deputy CM Nirmal Singh’s remarks on the relief amount for the 2014 flood victims of the state, urging Singh to “desist from making irresponsible statements”.
Reacting to the comments by Singh who told local media recently that Rs 3,600 crores is sufficient for rehabilitation of flood victims in Kashmir, Bukhari said that such comments will create confusion among the flood victims.
“The remarks of deputy chief minister (Nirmal Singh) have shocked me not only as a minister but in the capacity of a flood victim who has personally witnessed the scale of the devastation during the September floods last year,” Bukhari, minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Gardens and Parks said here in a statement.
Bukhari, the PDP Legislator from Amirakadal constituency in Srinagar noted that the Rs 44,000 crores financial package proposed by the previous government (National Conference) was also “insufficient” to compensate the losses suffered by the people in the deluge.
Taking a dig at the Deputy Chief Minister, the minister said, “Nirmal Ji?s figures have shocked me as I don’t know from where he got these superficial statistics. I would request my colleagues that instead of propagating their divergent opinions to prop up chaos and confusion, they should contribute in implementation of Mufti Saheb’s inclusive agenda of growth and prosperity,” he said.
The minister also expressed his disappointment on trivializing the establishment of AIIMS, IITs and IIMCs in the state.
Bukhari noted that despite ideological and political differences, PDP joined hands with BJP to give Jammu and Kashmir a new direction under the leadership of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed whose vision is to bring people closer by bridging regional gaps within the state. .
Dy CM clarifies
JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh has clarified that he is being quoted out of context on relief for flood victims issue. He said that he never quoted the figure of Rs. 3,600 crore as final settlement for flood relief. “I told the correspondent that another installment of Rs 1,500 crore as flood relief is being released” Dr Nirmal Singh added.
