news details |
|
|
| Politics of relief! Earthquake victims of Chenab region question different yard sticks | | |  Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu, Sept 22: The people in 'Chenab basin (erstwhile Doda district)' who witnessed nature's havoc as massive earthquake on May 1st and May 14th, 2013 leaving many of them homeless and displaced are now questioning discrimination meted out to them in sanctioning central relief package for earthquake victims of Doda-Kishwar belt.
Anchoring their hopes slightly upon the ongoing relief mission, the local questioned the different yardsticks adopted by the authorities at the helms of affairs as their survey reports have been biting the dust till date and quake victims are still eluded from the compensation even after 16 months since the 5.9 magnitude quake shook the dreams of many people living in this mountainous belt of the Jammu region. Due to successive earthquakes that hits the area, more than over 80 % residential houses in entire region were damaged.
Similarly, in Kishtwar district 18000 houses were reported partially damaged, While in Ramban district few government and private structures have also been reportedly damaged in these earthquakes. In Doda district government property worth over Rs 80 crore has been damaged and in Kishtwar Rs 12-14 crore has been reported as loss to the government property. In Doda District 494 schools, 12 PHCs and 273 Community Centers have been damaged severely. Similarly in Kishtwar 374 schools have been reported as damaged and scores of people were injured, mostly the school children's. Even though various political parties assured the people about special package from centre, but the majority of victims till date have not got a single penny as compensation.
As per details available with "Early Times" nearly 100 aftershocks were reported in the area since May 1, 2013 earthquake. The state government soon after the earthquakes through ministers, politicians, state officials and with the help of visiting central team and other officials groups also prepared a detail survey and prepared the proposal of Rs. 607 Cr relief package and same was forwarded to the then UPA government by the state cabinet, but the same was rejected by the UPA government in power. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also strongly pitched for sanctioning of relief package for earthquake hit areas of Chenab region during a Prime Minister Manmohan Singh function at Chowghan ground Kishtwar on 25th of June 2013 in which UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present, but the former PM Manmohan Singh even did not mention a word in his speech over the issue.
While talking to "Early Times", several earthquake hit victims of Chenab region assailed Omar and Modi governments for denying the relief to them at par with the "Flood victims".
"Over three storied building suffered massive damages due to constant earthquakes, but till date nobody visited our house and neither we got any compensation from the administration" said Amit Sharma.
Another suffer Tariq Ahmed said that his three storey building got damage beyond repairs, and government prepared a case of Rs. 28000 on paper which is far less than the loss of over Rs. 30 lacs which he had suffered in these earthquake. He said that since then he and his family had taken the shelter at his relatives' house.
With elections around the corner in state of Jammu and Kashmir and in view of BJP's Mission 44+, some people are seeing political motive on part of BJP government in sanctioning relief for flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir as Kashmir Division has 47 seats, while Chenab region has only 6 seats. Many earthquake victims said that they feel happy that center and state government are sanctioning relief to flood affected people of the state, but at the same time are hoping for equal attention from the state as well as from the center while dealing with the relief cases of earthquake victims of Chenab region pending in various government offices since long. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
