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| Rehabilitation of flood victims: After complaints, MHA steps in | | Goswami asks officials not to make polls an excuse | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 21: Amidst complaints of relief not reaching the flood victims Centre seems to have made up its mind to take the charge of the relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that centre has taken a strong note of complaints about "irregular distribution of relief material" and relief cheques being handed to selected people in the flood hit areas. "It's unfortunate that politics is being played over the relief distribution," they added.
Sources said that MHA officials have pointed out that winter has already set-in and the victims whose houses were destroyed by the floods are putting up in the tents at different places across the Valley.
State government has not done much to shift them to the concrete shelters. "The state government has passed the buck by sending Rs 44000 Crore rehabilitation proposal to the Centre," they added.
A top official said that MHA is keen on ensuring that flood victims don't suffer anymore and it wants to extend a helping hand to them.
Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami, who arrived in the Valley on Monday, according to the sources, asked the officials to ensure that if elections are announced these should not impact the relief and rehabilitation process. "He asked them to constitute special teams which even during polls would concentrate on the rehabilitation work so that people don't suffer," the source added.
The Union Home Secretary and inter-ministerial teams arriving in Jammu and Kashmir regions to take the stock of the ground situation is an indication about Centre not being happy by the steps taken by the state government.
Sources told Early Times that if the elections are announced in Jammu and Kashmir, then Ministry of Home Affairs would take the charge of the relief and rehabilitation measures till the next government is formed in the state. "The MHA has thoroughly studied the Rs 44000 Crore rehabilitation proposal forwarded by the state government," said a source.
He said the MHA officials have picked up many holes in the proposal submitted by the state government. "As winter has set in MHA wants to ensure that package for the flood victims is announced at the earliest and many people in the ministry are of the opinion that centre should take the charge," the source claimed.
An analyst while talking to Early Times said that a few mainstream politicians have started toeing the line of separatists by demanding that international aid should be allowed to reach Jammu and Kashmir. "They are doing so to gain the sympathy of the separatist elements as elections are approaching," he said.
The analyst said that it is unfortunate that the aid which is being sent by centre and other agencies is not reaching the deserving people and politics is being played over its distribution. "If New Delhi really wants to help the people of Jammu and Kashmir it should lead from the front and take the charge," the analyst said, "Cosmetic measures are not helping anybody's cause."
People are of the opinion that first of all the victims who are putting up in the tents should be shifted to concrete shelters and they need to be provided enough material to save themselves from the chilling winters which have already set in. "Financial package for the victims can be worked out after they are made safe. It's unfortunate that victims at many places have been left to fend for themselves," the analyst added. |
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