Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 7: In a shocking revelation that came at a time when the fire victims in South Kashmir’s Frislan village are shivering with cold, 1100 pre-fabricated huts have been issued by the Disaster Management Kashmir headed by Divisional Kashmir, Dr Asghar Samoon, to various departments and some officers for personal use.
The revelations came at a time when around 50 houses were gutted in a blaze in Frislan village of Pahalgam two weeks ago. The residents of the village are shivering with cold and have no place to live in while these huts are being misused. However, the villagers of adjacent Mohalla have accommodated these families in their own houses for the time being.
A senior officer in the divisional administration said that not a single hut is in the stores of the Disaster Management Kashmir at Bemina and they have nothing to offer to the victims of the disasters. The huts have been issued to various departments, organizations and for personal use of some of the officers over the years and majority of them are still with them and rest have been rendered useless and the Disaster Management Kashmir has nothing to offer to the victims of the disasters.
A letter addressed by the Executive Engineer, Left River Circular Road, Division Srinagar (LRCR/Relief/106-8) dated 06-07-2011) to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir gives details of the officers, departments and organizations to whom these huts were issued from time to time.
The letter said that the huts were issued to the various departments from time to time from Disaster Management Stores Bemina under the authority of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
The letter revealed that two pre-fabricated huts of the size of 16 ft x 16 ft and 12 ft x 8 ft (under order no. Div.Com/ Relief-OP/1761/05 dated 21-04-2011) have been issued to the Divisional Commissioner’s residence for security purpose.
Five more huts of the size of 16 ft x 16 ft, 12 ft x 8 ft, 16 ft x 8 ft, 16 ft x 32 ft and 4 ft x 8 ft were issued to the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and Coordinator Disaster Management’s residence from the Disaster Management Stores (under order nos Div.Com/ Relief-OP/1761/05 dated 08-11-2010, Div.Com/Relief-OP/ 1761/05 dated 11-12-2010 and Div.Com/Relief-OP/1761/10 dated 09-11-2010).
The letter said that two huts of the size of 16 ft x 16 ft have been issued to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Srinagar (under order no. Div.Com/Relief-EQ/1761/08, dated 02-05-2011) for his personal security at his residence at Gogoo, Humhama in district Budgam.
Twenty five huts measuring 16 ft x 16 ft have been issued to Principal and Director Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson School Tangmarg (under order no. Div.Com/Relief-Prefab/1761/ 05, dated 04-05-2011 and 30-09/2010).
Forty one huts of the size of 16 ft x 16 ft and 16 ft x 8 ft have been issued to the Project Manager Economic Re-construction Agency (ERA) (under no. Div.Com/Relief-OP/1761/05, dated 23-04-2011) for rehabilitation of Shopkeepers at Exhibition ground at Srinagar on loan basis. These shopkeepers were displaced due to under construction flyover in Srinagar.
The letter said that among 1100 pre-fabricated huts; 331 huts are with police department, 80 huts were taken by CRPF to construct a camp at Zakoora in Srinagar, 50 huts have been given to Railways for installations at different stations and 188 huts have been given to Deputy Commissioners of various districts in Jammu province.
The documents also revealed that 450 tents were given to Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal and Anantnag for Amarnath pilgrims.
Follow our WhatsApp channel