Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 5: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to press the Centre for answers on why thousands of crores sanctioned after the 2014 floods remain unutilized, warning that failure to act could expose the region to more devastating floods in the future.
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Mufti said that the Rs 1,623 crore sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s package and another Rs 1,500 crore loan from the World Bank for restoration of the Jhelum and Tawi rivers have not been put to use. “If dredging, desilting, and strengthening of river bunds are not carried out, the next floods could cause even greater destruction,” she cautioned.
The PDP chief accused the Government of “silence” despite people repeatedly raising the issue. “Today, locals saved themselves with sandbags, but what will happen next time will be far more dangerous,” she said.
Mufti also highlighted the plight of fruit growers, saying prolonged closures of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway have left truckloads of produce stranded, leading to massive losses. “Millions of people are dependent on the fruit industry. With no storage facilities, apples rot in trucks. Tourism is already struggling, and now horticulture is also being pushed to the brink,” she said.
Calling for immediate measures, she urged the administration to repair the highway and allow movement of heavy vehicles on the Mughal Road to ensure timely transport of fruit. She also recalled former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s interventions to support horticulture, including toll tax waivers and the Market Intervention Scheme, and demanded renewed focus on safeguarding the sector. “The Government cannot stay indifferent. Our economy depends on fruit and horticulture, and people are losing patience,” Mufti added.
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