‘Restore water, power supply, road connectivity’
*Inquiry into lapses behind Chashoti tragedy
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: Congress today strongly demanded that the Vaishno Devi tragedy probe should be headed by a sitting or retired judge of the High Court to ensure free, fair and independent probe into the massive tragedy, despite advance weather alert. It also demanded enquiry into lapses behind Chashoti tragedy and urgent measures for future facilities.
Addressing a joint press conference at party office here today, JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla, Ex-MP Ch. Lal Singh, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, former Minister Yogesh Sawhney, former MLC Ved Mahajan and others expressed great concern over the eye-wash enquiry into alleged serious lapses that led to the incident.
Bhalla said similar type of committee, as was constituted on 1st Jan 2022, has been again constituted, which shall report to the Chairman of the Shrine Board. He said the report of earlier committee headed by same officer, has never seen the light of the day and no action of any sort or its recommendations known to anyone till now, despite a public interest petition in the High Court. What is the fun of such committees which are aimed to divert the attention of the people from the tragedy for the time being, so the probe should be headed preferably by the sitting High Court judge, similar enquiry should be held in Chashoti, Kishtwar tragedy, which was also result of the failure to authorities to take preventive measures despite clear warnings of weather situation. This was result of criminal negligence especially after Chashoti tragedy.
The party leaders expressed grave concern over the water and power crisis into most parts of Jammu province and several parts of Jammu city and stressed upon immediate measures to press more men and machinery in all areas to restore connectivity, water- power and ration supply.
The party demanded six months free ration to the affected people in the province apart from free/voluntary Langer- Seva through Red Cross in worst affected areas for time being. They said our party workers, Seva Dal, Youth Congress and other civil society is rendering assistance but it cannot be sufficient, without aid from the Govt.
The senior leaders asked the Home Minister to declare it as a national disaster and provide mega relief and rehabilitation package for private loss and infrastructure loss immediately. An interim relief installment should be immediately released to worst affected, who are shelterless and lost every thing.
Congress leaders questioned the damage caused to the ecology of Mata Vaishno Devi hills and other natural ecology enhancing to the magnitude of the tragedies affecting different areas and public infrastructure and asked who was on the helm of affairs for last 11 years to allow illegal and unauthorized activities including large scale mining, wanton destruction of mountains, water bodies, lands, rivers etc.
They demanded a high level Committee of experts be dispatched to examine the broader issues of ecological imbalance which has taken pace and suggest measures for the future, as this devastation should leave as a warning to all. They demanded that the experts committee should also look into the reasons behind huge damage to major infrastructure and fix responsibilities whosoever technical and other faults are found.
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