Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 5: While the people in the flood hit areas of the State still face the food scarcity as Government has failed to maintain the ration supply to them, one full train load of rice donated by Chattisgarh State for the flood victims of the J&K was allowed to perish at Railway Station Udhampur due to the lack of coordination among various Government agencies who failed to lift the same in time and distribute among the hapless people.
According to high placed sources one full train load of the rice which was dispatched from Chattisgarh for the flood victims of the State in the middle of last month was allowed to perish after not being lifted for two weeks to be distributed among the affected people in the flood hit areas of the State due to lack of coordination among different wings of the Government. The callousness of the authorities forced some political and social organizations to launch a strong protest and the National Panthers Party MLA from Udhampur, Balwant Singh Mankotia resorted to agitation and sat on fast in protest.
Though the agitation of the people forced the authorities to lift the rice from the Railway Station some days back but it has rotten completely and is not worth for use now, sources said, adding that the people in various areas where the rice has been shifted are protesting to remove it from their areas as it has completely perished and omits a bad smell which can spread epidemic.
Sources said that the Government has to pay 11 to 12 lakh as charges to Railways for dumping the material on the track for two weeks.
Sources said that the people in flood hit areas of both Jammu as well as Kashmir region are facing shortage of food grains and despite the announcement by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to provide free ration to people for six months in the State, the CAPD has failed to provide the same to flood victims in various areas so far.
Sources said the people in most flood hit areas including Tawi Island, Panchari, Gool, Kalakore and Rajouri belt in Jammu region as well as in many parts of Kashmir Valley are stilly crying for ration and instead of distributing the same among them, the authorities allowed it to perish on Railway Station.
In Kashmir Valley’s Ganderbal district the people protested saying they have not been provided the ration even on the occasion of Eid falling tomorrow though the Government was supposed to provide the same, sources, said adding the authorities have notified 26 villages in the district as flood hit but the ration for these villages has not been so far given to CAPD.
When some people in the area visited a local CAPD Depot they were told by the incharge of the Depot that Government has not supplied the ration for flood hit areas till date, said Mohammed Shafi a local resident.
However when contacted the CAPD and Transport Minister, Ch Mohammad Ramzan said that they have given the last month’s ration and the ration for October will reach after 5th. However he said that the issue will be taken up by him with concerned officers and some alternative way will be found.
Denying that the Government has not lifted the rice from Udhampur Railway Station, the Commissioner Secretary CAPD Bashir Ahmed Khan said that they have since lifted it and taken for distribution among people in both the regions of the State.
He however could not say why the lifting of rice from the Railway track was delayed.
NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia however said that the Commissioner Secretary CAPD is being misguided by his officers as the entire ration has perished and it is not worth for eating now. He demanded a probe that why the ration was allowed to perish by the State Government agencies and the person responsible for this criminal negligence be punished under law.
He said it is a pity that on one hand State is asking the Centre for help and support and on the other hand the ration and relief sent by the people from different parts of country is allowed to perish.
Meanwhile the Ganderbal Peoples Welfare Society patron Mir Ghulam Rasool has also criticized the Pradesh Congress chief, Saif -ud_Din Soz for passing bucks on Centre for not sending the relief for flood hit people of the State. Mir said that what role the Congress Party has played which is part of the Government in distributing the ration and relief which has already reached the State and maximum portion of which has destroyed due to lack of coordination among the Government agencies.
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