Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 28: The Dogra Sadar Sabha, in an urgent meeting of its central working committee, expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation across Jammu province, which stands at the point of unprecedented danger.
While talking to the press after the meeting, Thakur G S Charak, President of the Sabha, drew attention towards catastrophic landslides, massive scale disruption and said that tragic disasters have been worsened by reckless, unscientific blasting of fragile mountains for highways, railways and tunnels. Entire hillsides are collapsing during rains, exposing villages and towns to danger and displacing thousands of families, he added.
Charak impressed upon the JKUT administration to carry out the repair and restoration work of the damaged infrastructure on war footing ensuring accountability.
The Dogra Sadar Sabha demanded that the Central and J&K Governments should order an independent judicial/parliamentary inquiry into the reckless blasting and unscientific infrastructure planning that have endangered Jammu province.
Besides, DSS stressed for launching urgent measures to restore and preserve heritage sites such as Mubarak Mandi by reviving the Jammu Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society, along with its governing and executive bodies, ensuring due public representation and to rehabilitate the historic Ranbir Canal to safeguard both heritage and livelihood.
“Implement a comprehensive rehabilitation and compensation programme for affected families, farmers, traders and hoteliers, ensure priority for local youth in jobs, contracts and reconstruction work, adopt environmentally sustainable development policies, in line with UN and NDMA guidelines, which warn that poorly executed projects carry extreme risks of landslides, flash floods and irreversible damage,” demanded the members. They also reiterated the demand for restoration of Statehood to Jammu & Kashmir.
Dogra Sadar Sabha warned that unless immediate corrective steps are taken, Jammu province will continue to face ecological, cultural and economic devastation.
Charak appealed to all political parties and leaders, including MPs, Ministers, MLAs and voices from every walk of life, to rise above differences, come together, deliberate on these pressing issues, and collectively work towards meaningful solutions.
Prominent among those present were Gambhir Dev Singh, H C Jalmaria, G A Khwaja, Dr Arvinder Singh Amn, Brig. M S Jamwal, Col Dr Virendra K Sahi, Amanat Ali Shah and others.
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