JAMMU: National Panthers Party (NPP) on Saturday organised a demonstration outside Raj Bhawan Jammu against the negligence and despicable apathy shown by the State Government in dealing with the tragic situation caused in the State due to unprecedented rains and floods.
NPP which had announced hunger strike in front of Raj Bhawan with Balwant Singh Mankotia starting it today had shelved the same following the Supreme Court order forming a five member committee and directing the State Government to take concrete steps and undertake proper assessment of the damages within two weeks to be followed by appropriate measures for adequate relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the calamity.
NPP leaders expressed the hope that Supreme Court’s intervention and monitoring of the issue would ensure justice to the people ravaged by turbulence.
Harsh lambasted the State Government for its imbecility, incompetence and inefficiency in ensuring provision of essential commodities, rations, relief and life saving medicines to the survivors of the worst ever catastrophe that struck the State.
Despite repeated announcements and tall pronouncements made by the Central and State Government the affected areas particularly the remote and far flung areas had remained deprived of any kind of relief and rehabilitation measures, harsh said adding that the Union Government had announced Rs. 1,100 crore under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Rs. 1,000 crore as relief package, Rs. 200 crore for restoration of roads and water supply schemes, Rs. 100 crore for affected tourism infrastructure besides hundreds of crores provided by various other state governments for assistance and rehabilitation of the victims of the worst ever natural calamity.
He regretted that there was complete mismatch between the Govt. announcements and physical delivery on the ground with the affected people struggling for basic amenities and essential commodities in various parts of the State.
He questioned as to where was the huge financial assistance and relief package being utilised as the people in majority of the areas visited by the NPP leaders had denied receiving any kind of relief or aid from the government.
Seeking immediate provision of compensation for repairs and reconstruction of the damaged houses, Harsh sought early provision of six months free ration to all affected persons as repeatedly announced.
He sought justice for all regions of the State and castigated the State Government for discriminating against Jammu region even in the matter of evaluation and assessment of losses where all the ten districts were facing deprivation neglect and Govt. apathy.
Mankotia regretted that most parts of the State hit by the natural calamity have witnessed dumping of essential commodities at various places without distributing the same to the affected persons with the result that they had rotten.
He said that careless attitude towards the relief material sent by other states for flood survivors spoke volumes about the Govt’s apathy towards the foodgrains and efforts made by the persons from donor states. He also said that the initiatives of private agencies, NGOs and others were being mocked at by the State Govt. agencies which had received stocks of medicines and life saving drugs but were not distributing them. He said that there were also reports of trucks carrying relief material being stopped at Lakhanpur and other places and not allowed to proceed to intended destinations.
Balwant further expressed concern over the breakdown of water and power supply in various parts of the State besides damage to communication network.
