Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 14: Coordination Committee Bemina Srinagar has held the Government responsible for the miseries of the flood victims of Bemina Housing Colony who suffered a heavy loss due to last year’s flash floods.
The allegation was made at a press conference here today by the Committee representatives headed by Haji Mohammad Shafi Shah its chairman.
He said that the residents of the area were befooled by the Government as the Bemina Housing Colony was raised by it through Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) and the hapless people who constructed their house in the colony had purchased the plots from SDA on cash payment.
He said the land in question is wet land and it is not understood how this land was sold to people. The people suffered losses worth crores and lakhs due to sheer negligence of SDA and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
He said the people have constructed houses by spending lakhs of rupees with the permission of SMC, SDA and Housing Department as they were unaware that it is a wet land and flood prone area.
These houses have been totally damaged and are in a precarious situation as they remained in water for over 18 days during floods last year. He said besides the residents of the area the industrial unit holders and other business establishment holders have faced a grave loss.
He said the drain constructed by the ERA with the consultation of SDA has totally failed because it is on low level from bed of river Jehlum. Besides, neither the side walls of flood channel nor the level of water pump station have been raised up till now despite the promise made by DC Jammu time and again. So the flood threat looms large in the area, he added.
He said the Minister of Flood Control & Irrigation and concerned MLAs have never paid attention to these problems and it is not understood where the CDF has been utilized.
In an appeal to Governor he demanded that house owners be paid a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for reconstruction of their houses and in case this is not possible the Government should allot them plots in safer areas which are not prone to flood.
He also demanded probe into utilization of CDF and failure of drainage constructed by ERA. He demanded flood channel walls in the area be raised besides establishment of fire service station and play ground, renovation of lavatories and maintenance of green belt in the area.
Others present in the press conference included K A Dewani, Abdul Ahad, Ghulam Rasool, Mohammad Munaf, president Shopkeepers Association, Bemina, Haji Mohammed Yousaf and Haji Abdul Rashid.
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