Jammu: Expressing concern over loss of life and property due to floods and landslides in the state, the National Conference on Monday sought a massive central assistance for rehabilitation of flood victims and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
"We seek a massive central assistance for rehabilitation of flood sufferers and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir", NC Chief for Jammu Province, Devender Singh Rana said, after concluding a week-long visit of the most-hit areas of the region on Monday.
"The natural calamity has wrecked the entire state, rendered Kashmir in deluge and caused widespread damage in the Jammu region", he said. He said over 15,000 dwelling units are totally damaged and 35,000 partially due to flash-floods and landslides in various districts of the Jammu region.
"Massive damage have also been caused to standing crops, livestock and public utility services. Besides, nearly 200 causalities have been reported from the Jammu region, among the total of 300 casualties in the state", he said, adding, though the Omar-led government undertook timely rescue and relief operations yet more is required to be done on an immediate basis.
"For this purpose a massive central funding has become imperative", he added. While hailing preliminary compensation of Rs 75,000 per fully-damaged house, the Provincial President urged the Centre to enhance it to Rs 5 lakh, as recommended by the chief minister.
Rana briefed the party functionaries about the damage caused in the region in general and Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Reasi and Jammu districts in particular. He lauded the administrative response in the hour of crisis and said the time has now come when the government is required to pool up all resources and speed up the rehabilitation and relief measures.
He said working season being limited and the winter not far away, the situation calls for a holistic view in terms of realistic assessment of the damage. "Accordingly, the assistance is needed to be released so that rehabilitation and reconstruction is taken up on war - footing", he maintained.
"This is the time when the people of Jammu and Kashmir should rise above party politics and put a united front to ensure some sort of respite to those who lost everything in devastating floods", he said. "This is not something new for a party that has all along identified itself with peoples' agonies and shared these unequivocally", he said.
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