STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked for inclusion of non migrant Kashmiri Pandits in the welfare endeavour of the government.
She further directed for provision of all basic facilities of healthcare and education at the transit accommodation centres in the Valley where members of the community are presently putting up.
Mehbooba said this while addressing a meeting of Rehabilitation, Relief & Disaster Management Departments here.
The members of the Pandit community who did not leave their homes in the Kashmir Valley also need attention as many of them are living in very poor conditions, she said, adding that the members of all migrant communities like Muslims, Sikhs etc should be given space in any transit accommodation facilities being built there, thus respecting the pluralistic ethos of the place.
Minister for Revenue, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction and Disaster Management Syed Basharat Bukhari and Minister of State for Revenue Ajay Nanda were also present in the meeting.
In the meeting, Mehbooba also enquired about the supply of ration to Pandit families, particularly at Jagti and stressed on making the distribution process simple and hassle free.
She also suggested for opening of some Fair Price Shops in the migrant camps and Pandit habitations to ease out the problems of the inhabitants.
It informed in the meeting that a 40 bedded hospital has been readied at Jagti Township which is being operationalised soon.
The meeting was also informed that the documentation process for relief distribution among the beneficiaries of PoK Displaced Persons has been simplified and now only three documents are needed instead of 11 as prescribed earlier.
During the meeting, Mehbooba also directed for mainstreaming of disaster management and preparedness by all departments even as she asked for supplementing of all hardware and software components to make the disaster response apparatus in the State ready for any eventuality.
She further said Jammu and Kashmir, being a high seismic zone and prone to natural disasters, ought to have a disaster response apparatus ready all around to meet any eventuality.
It was informed in the meeting that a complete morphological study of Jhelum and Tawi rivers in the State is being conducted by the Disaster Management Department.
It was also informed that an Emergency Operation Centre (EoC) of the Department has been started at Humhama, Srinagar and land for another Centre at Jammu has been identified and similar centres would be set up at all district headquarters.
She was further informed that the first batch of 18 passed outs in post graduation in Disaster Management from University of Kashmir has been engaged by the concerned Department for creating awareness among the people.
