Dismayed over the plight of families who lost their shelters to the ravaging floods across the State last month, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senior leader and party candidate for Amirakadal Constituency Syed Altaf Bukhari has ridiculed the government for unwanted delay in rehabilitation of these families. Bukhari has demanded free government accommodation for these families at least for the next six months so that they can cope up the winter vagaries.In a statement issued to KNS, the PDP candidate for Amirakadal constituency said the tents and other makeshift shelters set by various non-governmental organizations for these flood affected homeless families cannot withstand the biting cold and the government must immediately provide free accommodation in estate and custodian buildings besides in government hired hotels.
“Thousands of families have lost their houses in devastating floods and the government seems unmoved by their misery and pathetic condition. Women, old aged and the children are made to suffer in tents and other prefabricated sheds and one fails to understand the reasons behind government’s inaction,” Bukhariobserved.The PDP candidate for Amirakadal constituency said that the government accommodation occupied by the Darbar move employees in summer capital is scheduled to get vacant by the end of this month in view of Darbar move to Jammu and government must shift the flood affected homeless families to these estatesquarters and other hotels hired by the estates department without any procedural formalities.
“Families who have lost their houses completely or have developed major cracks in them or those families whose houses are unsafe or unable to cope up the inclement weather must be shifted to the governmentquarters and other hired hotels till government takes some concrete measures for their rehabilitation,”Bukhari added.Referring to the academic losses suffered by the students’ community across the state, Bukhari urged that government to postpone the annual examinations and the same be held in March next year as per the old and genuine practice. “The students have not only lost their uniforms, books and notebooks but are mentally traumatized and it is advisable for the cognizant academic institutions and government education departments to postpone the scheduled annual examinations till March next year,” Bukhari demanded.
Reiterating his demand for the immediate disbursement of an interim relief to the flood affected business community, the PDP senior leader remarked that by each passing day, the government is compounding the losses suffered by the traders’ community by its administrative ineptitude. He said the actual loss suffered by the State’s economy will be much higher since the impact of such disasters is multilayer and a long-drawn process.Bukhari said almost every sector affected by the floods especially the business community has to start from a scratch but unfortunately the State government seems least bothered about their appalling condition. “A minimum of Rs. 5 Lakh interim compensation should be given to each shopkeeper affected and Rs. 25000- per acre be given to each apple grower affected by the floods,” he demanded. The PDP senior leader also urged Mr Narendra Modi led government to ascend above all political considerations and go for a liberal funding for rehabilitation of flood victims of Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)