PM Draws Ire of J&K after Announcing Relief of Rs. 745 crore

Oct 24, 2014 Tushita News 0

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After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a package of Rs 745 crore for the relief of flood victims of the Kashmir Valley, Congress lashed out at him and called it a ‘crude joke’ that the PM has played with the people of the state and has portrayed ‘casual approach’ of the Centre to help them.

Saif-ud-din Soz, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief, kept his views forward in a statement while responding to media queries, by saying that the relief package announced for those suffering from the recent disaster unleashed by the devastating floods, “amounted to a crude joke with the people of state.”

His reaction has come a day after Prime Minister Modi visited Siachen and spent nearly four hours there during which he announced Rs. 175 crore for six major hospitals that were in poor condition and required immediate intervention and another Rs. 570 crore assistance for housing of people who lost their houses in the deluge.

The ruling National Conference and its ally, Congress, have already termed the announcement a ‘big let-down’ and a ‘joke’.

“Since he (Modi) was giving a message to Kashmir, he should have been conscious of the level of devastation that had taken place in Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir,” Soz said.

He also added, “the announcement of Rs 570 crores package for reconstruction of houses of the affected people is seen here as a situation of “adding insult to the injury.”

This also brings to light, in an abundant measure, “his casual approach to give a helping hand to the people, who had to face the ravages of severest flood in their recorded history,“ said the Congress leader.

Questioning the delay in the response by Prime Minister towards the devastation in Kashmir when help could have been immediately brought to the people who have to face hazards of approaching winter, Soz stated, “Modi government has already lost two months in organizing response to the devastation in Kashmir and now he intends to examine the situation through a team of experts which may further delay relief.”

He also claimed that Modi had taken a leaf out of UPA’s policies of giving relief directly to the sufferers. He said, “I don’t think anybody will be objecting to direct grant of relief to the affected people.”

Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir had said on Thursday that he remained hopeful of some clarity coming out on “whether this money is an installment towards the full package.”

 “We had hoped that we would get some indication with regard to the acceptance of the package that the state government has asked for but that was not forthcoming,” said Omar.

He also said that since he is making effort to ensure that no one remains without shelter before the winter arrives, therefore, the package that the state submits is very significant.

The Chief Minister and his Cabinet has submitted a package of Rs 44,000 crore to the Centre for rehabilitation and relief for the people of the state who were affected by the floods that virtually submerged Srinagar city and south Kashmir.

After the announcement was made last night, National Congress spokesperson said people had high expectations that Modi would make a substantial declaration but the package that he has declared ‘doesn’t go far enough’.

“People criticizing the Chief Minister before this visit saying that ‘Omar has failed, now Modi will come to rescue us’ should realize how misplaced their criticism and expectations were,” said the spokesman.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former state Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha also described the announcement as a ‘joke with the people of the state’

He also said, “This is just playing a joke with the people of the state or rather this is insulting to all those who have suffered human and collateral loss.”

PDP, the main Opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir was in consonance with Omar Abdullah, as it said that this might not be the final sum announced by the centre, since the destruction caused by the calamity “is at a very enormous scale”.

“We believe that this is only an instalment coming to the Kashmir Valley,” said Nayeem Akhtar, the party spokesperson.

Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, CPI-M leader also accused the Centre of playing with the feelings of the people of the state and called the package an ‘insult’ to the state.

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• Jammu and Kashmir, Leh Jammu, narendra modi, Prime Ministers Relief Fund, Siachen, Srinagar, survivors

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