Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today directed the administration to take all requisite measures for ensuring safety of life of the people in areas hit by shelling from across the border.
“Food, temporary shelter, transportation, medical facilities and supply of drinking water should be made available at the camps established for border people who have migrated for heavy shelling from their areas,” Omar directed the Divisional Administration of Jammu region.
Omar today conducted a meeting via video conferencing with the Divisional Commissioner, Inspector General and Deputy Commissioner Jammu.
The Chief Minister received brief about the arrangements made to safeguard the lives of border people under the shelling from across the border.
Omar was informed that 24 temporary camps have been established in Jammu, Samba and Kathua Districts at safer places for the families hit by the shelling and over 7,000 people are residing in these camps.
It was stated that free food, medicine, blankets and other requirements are being provided to the inmates of these camps.
The Chief Minister directed identification of more places of shelter so they are utilised in the hour of need.
Private banquet halls and other accommodation should be identified for providing shelter to the affected, he said.
The Chief Minister directed the Divisional Commissioner to sensitise all the concerned Deputy Commissioners in this regard and ensure that people migrating from the shelling-hit areas do not face any difficulty on account of food, shelter, medicine, drinking water and other such requirements.
Surplus ambulances from other districts should be put in operation for the shelling affected people, he said.
He asked the Divisional Commissioner to take Health Department on board in this regard.
Omar also directed for making arrangements for establishing temporary camps for cattle.
Sheep and Animal Husbandry Department should be associated in this regard to arrange fodder and medical treatment for the cattle, he said.
The Chief Minister has directed for immediate release of compensation to the affected families for loss of precious human lives as also for the loss of cattle.
“Money is no problem in this respect, you only ensure release of compensation and safeguarding the lives of people,” he asserted saying that the funds required in this regard will be released urgently.
The Chief Minister has already announced three months free ration for the affected families.
Omar received brief on the current firing situation in Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Poonch and other areas.
He was informed about the deaths and those injured in the firing and shelling across the border.
Omar directed for intensifying the pace of progress on distributing interim relief of Rs. 75,000 to the families whose residential houses have completely collapsed in the devastating flood. He fixed a timeframe of one week to accomplishing the task by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
In a high level monitoring meeting he chaired in Srinagar this morning to get brief on relief and rehabilitation process, the Chief Minister said that all the Deputy Commissioners should be sensitized in this regard so that affected families whose houses have totally damaged get urgent interim relief in one week’s time from today.
“Ask the Deputy Commissioners to complete the task within one week from today or pack their bags”, he told the top level bureaucrats present in the meeting.
Omar said that whatever support-back the Deputy Commissioners require in this regard should be provided to them and no leniency given to anyone in addressing the issue in the stipulated time frame.
Omar said that the houses which are visibly collapsed before everybody’s eyes should not take any time to certify and provide interim relief to the house owners.
The Chief Minister said that focus should be on putting in place a concrete rehabilitation programme, particularly to provide temporary shelters to those whose houses have totally damaged and are residing in tents on roadsides. “They cannot be left like this as the winter is approaching”, he told the administration and asked the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to take immediate measures in this regard so that these people are temporarily rehabilitated.
“You should sit with the concerned officers to ascertain the number of these families and formulate a befitting temporary rehabilitation programme for them”, he directed the Divisional Commissioner asking him to act on this task as fast as could be done.
The Chief Minister while receiving brief on the restoration of health institutions was apprised that no radiation leakage has taken place from the SMHS Hospital as the Radio Therapy Plant of the Hospital was not submerged. It was told that team of experts from SKIMS and others have certified that no leakage of radiation has taken place in the SMHS Hospital.
It was stated that CT Scan for the Hospital is on way and MIR is likely to be installed within next four to six weeks. It was stated that 9 lakh children of zero to 15 years of age have been vaccinated against measles and the process will continue for next six months. It was also stated that Oxygen Plant at G B Pant Hospital has been made functional and indoor admission in LD, G. B. Pant, SMHS and other flood-hit hospitals has begin while OPD in these hospitals is on.
The meeting was attended by various Ministers, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Administrative Secretaries, Heads of the Departments and senior officers.
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