Will also visit Chashoti, inspect damage, meet flood victims
Union Minister, LG to accompany DM
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 23: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a high-level meeting with senior officers of Army, other security agencies and administration at Gulabgarh in Kishtwar district tomorrow during his one-day visit to review relief and rescue operations at cloudburst-hit Chashoti village in which 65 persons have died and nearly 30 others are still missing.
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Rajnath will be joined by Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Lok Sabha member from the area and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Sources told the Excelsior that Rajnath Singh joined by Dr Jitendra Singh will reach Jammu from New Delhi around 12 noon and accompanied by the Lieutenant Governor will fly to Gulabgarh, the last landing point for calamity-hit Chashoti in Kishtwar district. They will reach Chashoti by road around 2 PM.
The Defence Minister will inspect relief and rescue operations which are going on at Chashoti as nearly 30 people are still missing while 65 bodies have been recovered. Over 100 persons were injured and many of them have recovered and have been discharged from different hospitals.
Rajnath Singh will meet the teams of multiple agencies including Army, NDRF, SDRF, CRPF, CISF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, civil administration besides locals who have been engaged in rescue mission since August 14 when the cloudburst struck Chashoti leading to death and destruction at large scale.
He will examine the damage caused to local houses, shops and infrastructure and will interact with the victims.
The Defence Minister will return to Gulabgarh where he will preside over an hour long meeting with the officers along with Dr Jitendra Singh and Manoj Sinha. Senior Army officers will join the meeting along with other agencies who are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
Rajnath Singh will be briefed on the relief and rescue operations undertaken by different agencies post Chashoti cloudburst tragedy and number of lives saved besides the steps being taken to recover bodies of the missing persons at different places.
While Shri Machail Mata Ji yatra remained suspended, the Chhari was taken to the holy shrine a day before with limited number of devotees.
Sources said the rescue mission by the multiple agencies will continue and different measures are being adopted to recover bodies of the missing persons as authorities see no hope of survivors after 10 days of tragedy.
The Defence Minister will fly back from Gulabgarh to technical airport here and return to New Delhi in the evening.
There have been reports that the Central Government could announce rehabilitation of locals who have been badly hit by the tragedy besides compensation to the next of kin of victims.
The Lieutenant Governor has also assured reconstruction of houses damaged in the floods at Chashoti.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already announced relief from the CM’s Relief Fund for next of kin of dead and injured and damages caused to houses which will be in addition to the SDRF norms.
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