*Demands tragedy as national disaster
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 2: Working president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former Minister, Raman Bhalla, launched a scathing attack on the Union Government on Tuesday, describing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s high-profile visit to Jammu as a “damp squib” that failed to provide any relief or reassurance to thousands of flood-hit families reeling under devastation across the province.
Bhalla said that the Home Minister’s visit had been given massive publicity by the BJP, raising hopes among affected communities. However, he added, the visit ended in deep disappointment as no relief package or concrete measures were announced to address the losses suffered by the people.
“The flood-affected families felt completely betrayed after the visit. They were expecting some strong assurances and tangible relief, but the outcome was just silence,” he remarked.
Bhalla on Tuesday visited several areas including Greater Kailash, Gangyal, Ward 56, Sector 1, 4, 3, and Babliana, to take stock of the situation of flood-affected people. On this occasion, local residents of Gangyal were also present with him.
Former Chairman JMC Satish Sharma, Gandeep Pargal, Rashpal Chand, Luder Mani, Sanjeev Katal, Sumanpreet Singh, Satpal Verma, Rajkumar, Om Parkash, Gotam Sharma, Jatin Vashisht and others accompanied Raman Bhalla.
JKPCC leader demanded that the recent floods in Jammu, which have claimed several lives and caused large-scale destruction of property, infrastructure, agricultural land and livelihoods, must be declared a national disaster.
Raising questions over the preparedness and response of the administration, Bhalla sought a white paper on the measures taken for flood protection in Jammu and Kashmir over the last ten years.
He accused successive governments of indulging in “mere photo opportunities” instead of initiating concrete preventive works.
The JKPCC leader also voiced serious concern over the post-flood situation in various areas, where water continues to remain logged, raising the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases. He lashed out at the “casual and indifferent” approach of the authorities in tackling these health threats. “The administration has neither mobilised adequate medical teams nor initiated sanitisation measures in affected areas. The lives of people are being put at risk due to negligence,” Bhalla said.
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