Excelsior Correspondent
SURANKOTE Sept 21: On the third day of their weeklong tour of Poonch and Rajouri districts, senior National Conference leaders led by Provincial President Devender Singh Rana and Planning Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra visited flood-hit areas of Surankote and Thanamandi, interacted with the sufferers and had first hand information about relief measures taken so far.
While Planning Minister asked the administration to speed up rehabilitation measures and restoration of various utility services, Mr Rana called upon National Conference functionaries at the grass roots level to see that all necessary assistance reaches the flood victims.
The team also visited Arai, Sathra, Chaktro, Chandak, Chakara, Dingla, Qasba, Nangali, Khantater and Azmabad.
Giving a brief resume of steps taken by the Government to mitigate the sufferings of the flood affected people, Planning Minister said initial funding has been released by the Chief Minister, as a result of which rehabilitation measures are in full swing.
He made a mention of free rationing in the flood hit areas and said the administration has made elaborate measures for sustenance of those lodged at safer shelters. He said the concerned agencies are assessing the losses and full picture of the damages will emerge in next few days.
Stressing the crucial need of maintaining services, he asked the concerned agencies to ensure health and hygiene, medicare and provision of power and drinking water in the flood and landslides hit areas.
The officers accompanying the Minister during his visit briefed on the steps already taken and proposed in the flood hit areas. Mr Sadhotra called for close synergy between different agencies to achieve optimum results in a time bound manner.
Mr Rana referred to the massive relief operations in progress under direct supervision of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and said focus is only to have in place the dwelling units in view of upcoming winter, especially in the hilly areas of the State. For this, he said, road connectivity assumes greater significance to reach out to the most hit people and urged the developmental agencies to accomplish restoration of vital links on priority basis.
The Provincial President told the sufferers not to feel alone at this hour of crisis, saying the Government and the people were keen to see them re-established in their homes and hearths on urgent basis. He also referred to the enormity of solidarity being expressed across the country, adding this will motivate ‘us further to overcome all our difficulties’.
Mr Rana said the Chief Minister has already passed on necessary instructions to the administration for carrying out rehabilitation and restoration works on war footing basis. “In fact, efforts have been redoubled to accomplish mission rehabilitation on war footing”, he maintained.
Interacting with the sufferers, senior National Conference leader and former Minister Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari hoped that the rations will be made available to the people for longer duration in view of colossal damages to standing crops.
Mr Bukhari stressed the need for accomplishing restoration works of various basic utility services in double shifts in view of problems confronted by the people.
MLA Poonch Aijaz Jan said that rehabilitation assumes priority in view of winter and hoped this will be undertaken with a sense of commitment.
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