*Centre approves Rs 1102 cr for J&K
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 6: The Government today said 5189 houses have been damaged and 573 villages affected in recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir while it has released Rs 35 crores for providing immediate relief to the affected people. However, the Government didn’t react to the demand made by the NC Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that an all party delegation should meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Rs 44,000 crores worth special flood relief package for the State.
There was massive uproar in the Assembly as soon as the House proceedings began today after four days break as not only the opposition members of NC, Congress, CPM and Independents—Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid but the ruling BJP legislators especially those from the Chenab Valley were on their feet demanding immediate restoration of blocked roads and providing relief to the people badly affected by recent heavy rains, floods and landslides in various parts of the State.
Cutting across political affiliations, the members expressed concern over plight of the people and wanted the Government to immediately provide succor to the people. Congress MLAs—Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and Viqar Rasool even tried to reach to the Well of the House. Saroori was also carrying placard in his hands demanding immediate relief to the people, whose houses were damaged in the floods and restoration of blocked roads.
Almost all MLAs from National Conference, Congress, CPM, Independents and BJP were on their feet raising the issue of flood victims. As protests in the House washed away the Question Hour for 25 minutes, Speaker Kavinder Gupta announced an hour long special discussion on the floods after the Question Hour, followed by the Government reply.
Replying to the discussion, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh said the Centre has approved a package of Rs 1102 crore for the flood-hit State as against the requirement of Rs 2600 crore.
“Rs 2926.11 crore has been projected for the flood-hit people of Jammu and Kashmir as per SDRF norms. Such assessment was made at the initial stage and during the completion of verification process, the requirement as per SDRF norms came down to Rs 2600 crore,” he said.
“The Central Government while considering the claim of the State Government in respect of State Disaster Response Fund requirement approved only Rs 1102 crore,” Dr Singh said.
Giving details of relief measures after September 2014 floods, he said the previous Government had submitted a comprehensive package amounting to Rs 44,000 crore to the Centre for restoration of public infrastructure, ex-gratia to next of kin of the deceased and relief on account of damage to various crops etc.
He said in the first instance, the Union Government provided Rs 426 crore for paying compensation to those families whose houses were either severely or partially damaged. Another amount of Rs 13.79 crore was also provided under PM’s National Relief Fund for making the ex-gratia payment to next of kin of the deceased.
Dr Nirmal Singh said the State Government also made available Rs 1044 crore out of the SDRF for relief operations and temporary restoration of damaged public infrastructure.
He said these funds have been kept at the disposal of Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and other concerned departments for the purpose.
“The process of distribution of relief is going on as per the available funds and Government of India is approached for releasing the balance funds to meet the requirements”.
Sharing House’s concern over the loss of human lives and public assets during the September floods and recent rains, snowfall followed by landslides across the state, Dr Singh informed the Assembly that the Government was making serious efforts to provide immediate succor to the affected people.
The Deputy Chief Minister said following incessant rains and rise in the level of various rivers recently, the Government had immediately swung into action and started rescue and relief measures.
“This helped to save many precious lives and minimized loss to the infrastructure. The Government of India also responded immediately to the situation and deputed teams of National Disaster Management which in coordination with the state authorities took necessary preventive measures to shift the people from the danger areas and plug the gaps from the flood threat areas,” he said.
Maintaining that the State government has already set in motion the process of assessment of loss to public property, infrastructure and crops, Singh said after getting full details, the Government will approach the Centre for providing necessary compensation.
He said the authorities have been directed to complete the survey report at the minimum possible time. However, the government has placed Rs 25 crore at the disposal of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, and Rs 10 crore at the disposal of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, for providing immediate relief to the affected people, he said.
“During the 2014 floods, as many as 300 deaths were reported across the state and ex-gratia was paid to their next of kin. Free ration was also sanctioned and distributed to the affected people”, he said.
“Crops over a land of 3,99,946 hectares were affected and process of relief to the farmers will be taken up after receiving the funds from the Centre”, Nirmal Singh said.
He said State Government has done a commendable job this time by undertaking speedy measures with all ministers, including the Chief Minister, on the ground.
However, he was countered by leader of NC in the House, Omar Abdullah, who said “What you said just now. You cannot compare one and half feet of water level (in Srinagar) with that of 25 feet of flood water (during September floods). You should not draw these types of parallels. God has been kind on you that the state government has been saved from such a situation”.
“You have not faced the situation that we faced in the September floods. The way I and my colleagues have brought out the state out of that flood crisis, you will even have found it very difficult to locate your own address”.
“Don’t give such a perception that you have done a commendable job and that we were failures during September floods. We had also set up control rooms, put up people on the ground and geared up the administration until the water level was to two feet,” Omar said.
“But when the Rajbagh was flooded with 25 feet water, we were in deep crisis. We were unable to move out Gupkar. God has been kind on you. There has been even no single breach,” he asserted.
“This time the water level did not have the magnitude of the levels that shook the Kashmir Valley in September,” Omar said.
Dr Singh said 18 people have died in recent floods, landslides and erosion of land triggered by heavy rains.
He said 5198 houses have been damaged, besides 15221 hectares of farm lands in the current floods.
Dr Singh informed the House about steps taken by the State Government to provide relief to the flood victims of September and March and help extended to the State by the Central Government. However, he didn’t react to the demand of Omar Abdullah for sending an all party delegation to the Prime Minister for securing Rs 44,000 crores worth special flood relief package.
Dr Singh said the previous Government had submitted a comprehensive package amounting to Rs 44000 crore to the Central Government for restoration of public infrastructure, ex-gratia to the next of kin of deceased and relief on account of damage of various crops, free ration etc.
During the 2014 floods, as many as 300 deaths were reported across the State and ex-gratia was paid to their next of kin. Free ration was also sanctioned and distributed to the affected people, he added.
Earlier, participating in the discussion, former Chief Minister and NC Legislature Party leader Omar Abdullah pitched for sending an all party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval of Rs 44000 crores relief and rehabilitation package for flood-hit people saying the package was the only option to help the flood affected people of September 2014 and March 2015.
“An all party delegation should be sent to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister for approval of Rs 44000 crores package for flood-hit people of J-K,” Omar said adding his party was ready to accompany the ruling party to meet the Prime Minister to secure the package.
The proposal for the special package was submitted to Centre by the previous NC-Congress coalition Government headed by Omar after quantifying the flood losses.
“There is only one solution to these floods, it is approval of Rs 44000 crores,” he said, adding that there should not be any cuts in this package as it is formulated to ensure justice to all the flood-hit people.
Taking a dig at the Centre for release of flood package in parts and pieces, he demanded the full approval of the grant without any penny cut from it. He said according his assessments the Centre has only released Rs 3000 crores flood grants so far.
Taking Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu to task for his comments that the special package by their Government had been prepared haphazardly, the NC leaders said the Minister must know that the packages are prepared by the bureaucrats and the same officers are today sitting in the Assembly gallery with the new Government.
“If you don’t agree with the package, you can prepare the new one. If the Centre is not going to give the package, let the Government tell us clearly so that the people stop pinning hopes,’’ he said.
He alleged discrimination and bias in flood relief distribution.
“The relief is being distributed on political basis. Ruling party is distributing relief to their own workers,” he said.
Omar said that relief amount should be directly deposited to the bank accounts of flood-ravaged people. He recalled that during his tenure, he had asked the officers to directly deposit the relief amount in bank accounts of the people. He regretted that the Revenue officers were now disbursing relief on political and selective basis.
He also hit out at Mufti Government for triggering confusion in the minds of people by making contradictory statements over the issue of floods.
“One Minister is saying that Srinagar city faced water logging not floods but another Minister contradicts him by saying that it is floods and yet another Minister says that it is localized water logging. We want to know from the Government whether they call it as floods or something else,” he said.
He also said that the Government should take proper measures over illegal constructions in flood-prone areas.
Earlier in the morning, the Legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes as the opposition National Conference and Congress, CPM MLA MY Tarigami, Independent MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid and some BJP MLAs were on their feet demanding immediate relief to the flood victims, shifting of people to safer areas and opening of roads closed due to landslides.
The Opposition MLAs accused the Government of failing to provide succour to the flood-hit areas.
“What are they doing there, while people continue to suffer the Ministers are busy in photo opportunity,” NC member Ali Mohammed Sagar and Congress MLAs Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and Viqar Rasool said.
Carrying placard demanding that the Chenab Valley people be saved from the floods, Saroori protested in middle of the House along with Viqar Rasool while all NC MLAs were protesting from their seats. Omar Abdullah was also present in the House.
Most of the BJP MLAs including Shakti Parihar from Doda and Neelam Langeh from Ramban were also protesting from their seats seeking immediate relief for the people affected by rains, floods and landslides.
The National Conference and Congress members accused the Government of not being able to deliver on the ground as the people in flood-hit areas continue to suffer.
They also took a dig at the BJP-PDP Government for not being able to do anything to get Rs 44,000 crore relief and rehabilitation package sanctioned from the Union government.
“Why are you not getting the Rs 44,000 crore relief and rehabilitation package sanctioned from the Centre’’? NC member Devender Singh Rana asked.
Amidst the protest and noise, the Congress members from Chenab valley raised the issue of the damages being suffered by the areas in Chenab valley due to the ongoing incessant rains.
“Road links are disconnected, people are dying due to landslides, there is a scarcity of food grains in the area and what is the government doing,” Congress member Vikar Rasool said.
Vikar, who also tried to storm the well of the House, accused the Government and its machinery of a complete failure to address the woes of the people of Chenab valley affected by the incessant rains.
Congress member G M Saroori also carried a placard in the Assembly with ‘Save Chenab’ written on it.
“Houses are collapsing, people are dying and the government is in deep slumber,” Saroori said.
The noisy scenes continued to rock the House when Congress member Usman Majeed urged Speaker Kavinder Gupta to hold an hour-long discussion in the House over the issue of floods caused by incessant rains in the State.
Order was restored in the House only after the Speaker accepted the demands of the opposition and agreed to hold a discussion on the issue of floods.
Later while speaking to the reporters, NC member and former Speaker Mubarak Gul said, “The government has totally failed to address the woes of the people who are hit by floods in the state, especially the Kashmir valley. They are busy in just public relation exercises while the people who have lost their houses, their livelihood continue to suffer.”
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while talking to the reporters said, “It is unfortunate that the money for last year’s flood has not been released so far, apart from relief and rehabilitation work the money could have been used to take preventive measures.”
He said the proposal of Rs 44,000 crore was sent to the Government of India after his cabinet had approved it.
“It was aimed at providing permanent rehabilitation to the flood-hit people of the state,” he said.
Congress MLA GM Saroori and MLC Naresh Gupta also held protest at stairs outside the Assembly in the morning demanding immediate relief for Chenab valley.
Participating in the debate, NC MLA and former Minister Mian Altaf said rural people suffered heavy loss during the recent rains and Government should inform house what compensation has been given to those who lost their lives. He said the compensation to all the people affected by floods, rains and landslides should be released immediately.
BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia asked Government to take up the problems of farmers seriously who suffered extensive damage and loss due to this year as well as last year’s rains and floods. He demanded that Government should conduct Girdawari within days and provide immediate relief to the farmers in entire State.
Earlier during the Question Hour, Jasrotia displayed damaged crops in the House to highlight plight of the farmers.
He said the farmers in Jammu region too suffered heavy losses as their standing crops were damaged and submerged in water. He said the agriculture land along the river and nullah banks has been washed away and farmers need immediate compensation.
His party colleague Shakti Parihar said that Doda district was most affected due to heavy rains and landslide as seven people were buried alive under landslide. He said the MLAs team led by Minister of Health and Medical Education, Ch Lal Singh visited there on the directives of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed for rescue and relief. He demanded that relief needed to be provided on war footing basis.
MLA Ramban Neelam Langeh said that all the roads in far flung areas are disconnected and blocked. Besides most of the areas in rural belt are without power, he added. He alleged food scarcity, water and power crisis in his Constituency. In Dharamkund over 45 families have migrated to safer places as their houses are in danger. He said the issue was also brought in the notice of Divisional Commissioner Jammu.
PDP’s Abdul Rahim Rather said that rural areas were most affected by heavy rains and flash floods this time and need every sort of help from the Government.
Congress Deputy Leader, Aijaz Khan also demanded immediate steps be taken to provide relief to the affected people. He said the roads are cut off and people are stranded at various places as remote and far-flung areas are totally cut off.
MLA Kulgam and CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami suggested that House should send delegation to Prime Minster seeking help and assistance on the same pattern which the State got so far from the Centre. He said continuous rains have put farmers to heavy losses and stressed on removal of encroachments from nullahs and rivers. He said lot of damage was made by river Vishaw in his Constituency and the land be identified for the rehabilitation of flood and landslide hit people.
Javed Rana of NC said land erosion has led to damage to residential houses and people are in a panic whose houses have been damaged partially. They too be given compensation as these houses are at the verge of collapse. These people be allotted land for construction of houses and Disaster Management Committee be constituted. The people be provided free ration, he added.
Vikar Rasool of Congress said that houses have caved in his Constituency and people suffered a heavy damage. He said Rs one crore has been kept in FDR which is not sufficient as almost all roads are closed while transformers have been damaged and there is no money for flood protection.
MLA Shangus Gulzar Ahmed Wani, Ishfaq Jabbar of Ganderbal and Abdul Majid Bhat Larmi of Homeshalibug also participated in the discussion.
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