*Demands early restoration of Statehood
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 29: A delegation of senior leaders of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee led by its working president and former Minister, Raman Bhalla called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here today and submitted a detailed memorandum.
The members of the delegation discussed various welfare issues of families and farmers affected due to recent natural calamities in Jammu Kashmir. They submitted a memorandum requesting the Central Government for a comprehensive relief, rehabilitation, restoration, and re-construction package worth Rs one lakh crore. They further requested for the constitution of a high-level team of experts to visit the landslide and land sinking affected areas.
The delegation stressed that the recent natural calamity in the region be declared as a national disaster and the Centre Government must restore Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay. They also expressed concern over the situation in Leh, urging for resolving their legitimate demands through dialogue.
The delegation referred to the huge loss in different parts of Jammu region and parts of Kashmir Valley including huge loss to the houses and other private property including crops, vehicles, residential houses and agriculture lands and livestock due to rains, flash floods, land- slides, sinking of lands at multiple places in the province. They referred to the huge loss to the road connectivity, bridges and other public infrastructure of huge magnitude due to unprecedented calamity and demanded it to be declared as a national disaster to give maximum relief, proper rehabilitation of the affected people and the restoration and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure.
They detailed out that during the visit of PCC president Tariq Hameed Karra and senior leaders of the party to different affected areas, the people narrated certain lapses and inactions which speak of the manmade lapses contributing to the magnitude of the losses in the private and public property which should be investigated by the high level team aided by the experts. They further referred to the tragedy in Choshoti in Kishtwar followed by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and said that these could have been averted if due precautions taken in advance and demanded a high level independent probe to fix the responsibility .
The Cong leaders demanded that KCC loans and power tariff of the affected farmers should be waived off along with compensation for their damages agricultural equipments, appliances, pump sets etc. The live stock compensation, waiver of dairy loans etc. nd provision of subsidized seeds and fertilizers to the farmers be announced. The executing agencies of the UT and the NHAI and BRO should be directed to under take urgent repairs on war footing of the damaged roads, bridges, vital links and expedite the completion of important road projects. The farmers in the paddy belt of Jammu-R.S. Pura, Samba and Kathua be compensated for their demanged crop.
The delegation impress upon the Central Government to fulfill the promise made to the people of Ladakh region and accede to all their legitimate demands and fulfill their aspirations without further delay through dialogue.
The delegation comprised of former MP Ch Lal Singh, former Minister Mula Ram, Ex-MLA Th Balwan Singh, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, former Minister Yogesh Sawhney, Ex-MLC Ved Mahajan, Ex-MLA Indu Pawar, Ex-MLC Naresh Gupta, former Minister Shabir Ahmed Khan and Shah Mohd. Choudhary (Adv).
The Lt. Governor gave patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that he will forward their memorandum to the central Government.
Meanwhile, Major General Mukesh Bhanwala, General Officer Commanding (GoC), 26 Infantry Division (Tiger Division) called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today and briefed him on the relief and restoration efforts of the Indian Army in flood-hit areas under ‘Operation Rahat’.
The Lieutenant Governor lauded the Indian Army for minimizing the loss of precious lives by acting swiftly during the recent natural calamities and providing humanitarian assistance to the affected people.
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