Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 22: Urging for strict compliance with the World Bank’s anti- corruption guidelines in the implementation of Rs 1600 crore rehabilitation project sanctioned for restoration of flood ravaged infrastructure in J&K, NPP chairman Harshdev Singh has called for strict vigil and monitoring mechanism so as to curb the all pervasive leakages, pilferages and scams that are closely associated with all relief and rehabilitation operations.
In a press statement Mr Singh said that the State Govt has to discharge the responsibility in this regard by ensuring that the relief and rehabilitation measures percolate down to the gross root level and that the available meager resources are put to the most optimum use.
Seeking further the maintenance of regional balance in the allocation of 250 million dollar World Bank funding, Harshdev called for equitable share to Jammu region in view of huge losses sustained in this region which has unfortunately gone unattended and unaddressed. He said flood losses of Sept 2014 and subsequent vagaries of weather caused colossal losses in Jammu region including loss of 250 lives which however went unheeded with the State Govt as well as the Central teams concentrating only on Kashmir.
Mr Singh said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Irrigation Flood Control and water resources as well as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Environment and Forests confined their visit to Kashmir valley only neglecting Jammu from its itinerary. Likewise, he pointed out that Governor Reserve Bank of India, Mr Raghuram Rajan also visited the flood affected areas and flood victims of Kashmir but refused to visit the ravaged areas and victims of floods in Jammu by taking the plea that he has spoken to some NGOs of Jammu. He said that the visit of central teams to Kashmir was welcome step but Jammu is being totally ignored even in the recommendations of the central teams.
Seeking due share in the World Bank grant of Rs 1600 crore for Jammu region, NPP leader cautioned that Jammu people would not take this humiliating treatment lying down and would oppose the discriminatory policies of the Govt on provision of relief to the flood victims of Jammu region.
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