Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, May 21: Hailing the State Cabinet’s recommendation to the Centre for sanctioning Rs 607.77 crore rehabilitation package for the earthquake-hit people of the Chenab Valley, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana on Tuesday exuded confidence that the endeavours of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will go a long way in overcoming the challenges in the region.
Interacting with the sufferers at the doorsteps and addressing public meetings at Dali, Ponda and Shiva in Doda district, the Provincial President hoped that the recommendations of the package would meet early consideration as the Chief Minister has brought the overall picture of the Chenab Valley to the notice of the Prime Minister recently.
He said collective efforts being made by the State Government and the good offices being used by the Union Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad have already succeeded in drawing the attention of the Centre to the gravity of the situation arising in the wake of tremors early this month.
The Provincial President gave an account of his meetings with the sufferers across the region and said he was overwhelmed to see their patience and resilience at this hour of crisis. “Had such a catastrophe occurred in any other urban part of the country, the entire attention would have focused there”, he said adding that the sufferings of this remote pocket of the State have not caught the imagination of the people across the country. He assured the people, irrespective of their political leanings, that National Conference would stand behind them like a rock and help them to overcome their miseries.
Mr Rana said that the district, block and Panchayat units of National Conference in the three districts of the Chenab Valley have been converted into relief committees and the party workers have been asked to assume the role of social workers. The people, who have suffered, he said, need a balm to heal their psychological wounds and not just assurances or hollow promises.
Speaking on the occasion, District President National Conference and MLC, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy assured the people about fair distribution of relief and said that the damages caused to their dwelling units will be duly compensated. He said that administration is assessing the losses and every effort is being made to provide respite to the people in terms of temporary shelters, free rations and other essentials.
Mr Suhrawardy urged the people not to get misled by rhetoric and hoped that those inciting the sufferers were taking undue advantage of their innocence and sufferings.
The National Conference team, comprising the Provincial President, Suhrawardy, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Provincial Secretary and Thakur Kashmira Singh and Brij Mohan Sharma earlier went round the affected villages and had detailed interaction with the sufferers. The team is currently on a fortnight visit of the tremor hit areas.
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