VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Taking cue from the successive governments, PDP-BJP alliance too has resorted to discriminating against the Jammu region which became evident from the allocations made for upgrading health infrastructure, especially in the wake of damages caused to it due to unprecedented September floods last year.
Against Rs 175 crore allocated to the Kashmir Valley, Jammu got paltry Rs 20 crore. The funds have been placed at the disposal of the State Government by the Centre for procuring medical equipments damaged due to flash floods in Srinagar, Poonch and other areas of the State.
“BJP government is administering repeated doses of discrimination to Jammu region, one after the other”, former Minister and Panthers Party Chairman Harsh Dev Singh told STATE TIMES.
“The BJP has surrendered, not only over the emotive issue of AIIMS but also on the West Pakistan Refugees, Dogra Certificate, Ek Nishan ek Vidhan and much more. The allocation for health sector is just an addendum”, said Harsh.
“The BJP which have been donning the mantle of Masiha of Jammu for years together has indulged in the most treacherous bargain for the lust of power,” he lamented.
The requirement of funds for procuring equipment was assessed by a team from AIIMS and accordingly the funds were allocated. However, the actual needs of the Jammu region were ignored. Even the sanctioned amount of Rs 20 remains yet to be made available to the State Government.
All the machinery costing Rs 20 cr was supposed to be supplied on the basis of centrailsed purchase mechanism, the Kashmir Valley received all the medical equipments but Jammu’s case is still lingering on in the Union Health Ministry.
Dr Shakti Gupta, Head of Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, said, “Our Job was to assess the losses and prepare the report of shortcomings in the health infrastructure in GMC hospitals of the state.’
“We have nothing to do with release of funds, whatsoever”, he added.
