SRINAGAR: A year after the devastating floods struck Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the Centre to allow international aid to the state if it did not have money or was unwilling to announce any package for rehabilitation of victims.
“We want that aid should come from wherever it can. If the Centre is not ready to give financial aid, or it does not have the money, then we should be allowed to get it from where we are getting it (internationally),” Omar told reporters after donating blood as part of his party’s blood donation camp to mark the first anniversary of the floods here.
Omar, who is working president of opposition National Conference (NC), said people of the state had suffered from both sides, as neither had the Centre given any package nor did it allow any international aid.
“We (the previous NC-Congress government) had started the process of getting international aid by talking to the World Bank. The first meeting, I had with the officials of World Bank and Asian Development Bank before the election code (came into force).
“We had prepared a project but there has been no forward movement on that as well. So, we suffered from both the sides. Neither did we get anything from here, nor from where we would have got some money,” the former chief minister said.
Terming as “unfortunate” the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to celebrate the anniversary of the floods, Omar said, “…The reality is that the people, who were affected by the floods, have got nothing to celebrate.”
He said, now, the high court had to take a suo motu notice as a result of “non-efficiency” of this government.
“The court has compelled the state as well as the central government to answer. Now, we hope that due to high court’s pressure, people would get something which these people (governments) were unwilling to give till now. They were not ready to give the people anything on their own. Whatever,I had given to people during my regime, they had got nothing more than that,” the former chief minister said.
Omar claimed whatever assistance the flood-affected people got was before March 1.
“Since the PDP-BJP government was sworn-in (March 1), they (victims) have been continuously neglected. Rs 2000-Rs 2500 crore fund that they got with much difficulty was the money from State Disaster Relief Fund and first installment from Government of India which was announced on the spot during my regime. Not a penny extra,” he alleged.
The NC leader alleged the Centre took back money which it had given to the state on the account of various expenditures.
“They took money for many things in the name of flood relief. But those, who suffered losses, did not get anything. Helicopters were used, (but) the money was taken from us. Their boats were used here, but the money was taken from us. The funds meant for liabilities under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme were taken in the name of floods.
“Additional special plan assistance, which is given to us by the Planning Commission every year to balance our plan, that money was also added to the flood account and taken. That is why, Mufti sahab felt a compulsion to arrest the leaders of trade bodies who were to protest against the government,” Omar said.
Condemning the arrest of leaders of various trade bodies, he said, the chief minister is the same Sayeed who used to say that this is the battle of ideas, but the reality is, if your ideas do not match his, he will not allow you to talk.
“You (governments) are pushing the people unnecessarily. These traders were not protesting against any country. They were not coming out with anti-national slogans. They were coming out for their rights.
“The rights which they have been promised of by none other than the Prime Minister of the country who, here in Srinagar, said that we will not only give whatever to this part of Kashmir, but are even ready to help the other side of Kashmir as well.
“Thank God, they (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) did not took the help, otherwise their situation would have been same like ours. It is unfortunate that they (leaders of trade bodies) have been arrested for bringing these things to the public domain,” he said.
Omar, in a series of tweets, termed the chief minister as “dictator” for carrying out midnight raids and arrest of trader body leaders.
“In a series of midnight raids (chief Minister) Mufti (Mohammad) Syed has ensured the arrest of all the Trade Body leaders. Their crime? Unhappiness over flood relief (sic.). All these people wanted to do was register their dissatisfaction at the absence of any meaningful flood relief. Shame on Mufti the Dictator,” he tweeted.
“If Mufti Sb (sahab) was so sure people were going to celebrate as his Govt (government) has planned today he wouldn’t have ordered these arrests. #Dictator,” he said.
Omar accused the BJP-PDP coalition government of being instrumental in sabotaging the Rs 44,000 crore package, prepared by his government, and demeaning it by terming the figure as “unrealistic.”
“This government itself demeaned the package, what expectations will you have from the Centre. Take the budget speech of Finance Minister (Hasseb Drabu) and check what he has said about this package.
He himself demonised the package and presented as if it had been incorrectly put together. In such a situation, how can you expect that the Centre will accept their demands. If anyone has dealt a severe blow to the package, it is the finance minister of this state,” he said.
Omar said the government had not done anything to prevent such a tragedy in future.
“If last time around, the flood hit Srinagar after seven days of rains, God forbid this time it will come only after three days of rains. They (government) have not done dredging in rivers or flood channels anywhere. They have not arranged boats anywhere. They have not done anything to save us from such a situation,” he said.
However, Omar expressed hope that a financial package would be announced by the Centre.
“The world stands on hope. We have been sitting with a hope since the last one year and especially since the last six months (since this government took over). We were told that Rs 70,000 crore package will be announced. Then it increased to Rs 80,000 and then Rs one lakh crore.
“We were told that our finance minister is readying up the package. We were waiting that PM will announce the package here, but his plane was diverted to Bihar where he announced the package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. Now, we hope that the package will be again diverted after the results of Bihar (elections) and will be used in Jammu and Kashmir. We are hopeful and to what extent these people come up to our hopes and expectations, we will wait for that,” he said.
Omar also accused the Mufti government of being “non serious” and said this government spent Rs 30 crore on new cars but they don’t have money to dredge river and to assist people. (AGENCIES)
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